The Withering
by Bluetech
Summary: This is why I have been away for so long! This is a collaboration between Count Doofus and I, and we hope that it impresses you all! Hold on to your seats, it's going to be a bumpy ride...
1. Thunder In The Night

**A/N:**

**Dun, dun, dun...**

**Here it is!**

**I, along with a fellow Fanfiction writer named Count Doofus, have spent a very long time creating this collaboration story!**

**We have a feeling that it is going to break records, and we have been eagerly awaiting to see how our story is received!**

**We will be issuing updates every other day.**

**Please review, and flame if you must!**

**Without further ado, here it is!**

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><p><em>Prologue: Ten years after the events of Rio, Blu and Jewel have had a most enriching life, not just with each other, but with their three grown children. As they, along with the entire sanctuary, gather to witness a spectacle from the heavens, they are soon intrigued by what arrives soon after. A large, smoking,half-melted mass has invaded the jungle, and the curiosity of the jungle fauna soon morphs into fear. As a horrid sickness strangles the jungle, the creatures who call it home must find away to cure it, and time is running out.<em>

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><p><strong>Chapter 1:Thunder In The Night<strong>

One cool, clear summer night in Rio de Janeiro, Tulio and his family were getting ready to turn in and get some sleep. They had been watching the news for over an hour, and nothing eventful had graced the large TV screen the whole time.

Fernando was all grown up, and he was on summer break from the local university that he had just begun to attend. Earlier this morning, he had dropped by to visit, albeit unexpectedly. He had spent the day catching up with his parents, and little Vanessa made him smile, like always. As such, it had been a very long day, and Fernando, feeling worn out, had already went to his room and shut the door.

Feeling just as tired, Linda felt compelled to do the same.

She lifted herself from the couch, and as Vanessa, her three year old daughter, ran in front of the TV, she snatched her up.

"I got you, Vanessa! What are you going to do?"

She squealed with laughter and wriggled about in her mother's grasp.

"Bedtime, Mama? We go sleep?"

"Yes, little one. It is bedtime for all of us."

Just as Linda made her way over to her bedroom, an excited yell from Tulio stopped her cold.

"Linda! Come quick! Look what's on the news!"

She trudged her way back to the living-room and glared at the screen. She easily caught and understood the Portuguese streaming from the speakers, and she needed no help from her husband.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes! This just came in, Linda! The meteor shower that they have been talking about all week will start in a few minutes! Let's go outside and watch!"

Linda shifted Vanessa over onto her left side, followed by an exhausted sigh.

"But, Tulio, I am tired, and Vanessa wants to sleep..."

"Come on, honey! We will only watch it for a little while. Then we can all go to bed. _Eu prometo._"

After he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, she decided to relent.

"Fine, dear. Let me go wake Fernando."

"I will be waiting on the porch!"

Tulio sauntered over to the front door and stepped outside, the door closing softly behind him.

Linda walked over to Fernando's room and yelled, "Fernando, wake up! Do you want to see a meteor shower?"

She heard a loud shuffle from behind the door, and a few seconds later, it flew open.

"Of course, mother! Let's go!" he replied in a strong, hearty tone.

He rushed over to join Tulio, and Linda followed meekly in his wake. Once they were all gathered on the porch, they scanned the heavens above for any sign of the fleeting streaks of light.

"Where are they, Tulio? How many will we see?"

Keeping his gaze focused towards the obsidian sky, he replied, "They should be popping out any minute now. The reporter said that the ZHR will be between 21,600 and 22,000 meteors. This will be a pretty light shower, but a beautiful one, nonetheless. Just like you, Linda."

She blushed heavily at his comment, and despite the flood of heat coursing through her, she managed to ask, "What is the ZHR?"

"The what? Oh, the ZHR? That is the zenithal hourly rate, honey. It is an estimate of how many meteors you can expect to see on a clear night in one hour. But, we will be seeing less than that, because the point were the meteors are coming from, the radiant, isn't at the zenith. I am not an astronomer, that is just what the reporter said! Lucky for us, we are far enough away from the city that light pollution isn't too much of a problem, so we can still see most of them."

Just then, a noticeable streak of light flashed across the sky, followed by another, and then by three more.

"Look, Tulio! It's starting! Let's watch..."

A steady stream of meteors trailed through the night, seeming to erupt from just above the horizon and shoot out in all directions.

"They're so fast! It's like they are gone as soon as they appear!"

"I know! You have to have a quick eye to catch them, Linda!"

Vanessa stretched her arms up to the sky and flexed her hands, as if she was trying to grab the tiny space rocks before they vaporized in the atmosphere.

"Mama, what those? They pretty. I want one!"

"Those are called meteors. They are too far away to catch, honey! Besides, they hardly ever make it down to Earth. They are usually too small. Just be quiet and watch."

As the family of four continued their observation, a point of light appeared far on the horizon, but unlike the rest, it refused to vanish. The flickering point of light continued to grow brighter, and a deep rumble began to echo across the jungle.

Linda soon grew nervous, and she squeezed in closer to her husband.

"Tulio, what is that noise? It sounds like...thunder. And it keeps getting louder!"

Tulio clenched his wife and his daughter, and another sound soon sent them into a panic. High pitched tsunami sirens began to blow all across the city, and the undulating wail struck terror into their hearts.

The rumble soon turned into a roar, and as it mixed with the sound of the screaming sirens, the resulting noise was like the bellow of a demon. All of a sudden, they felt an odd wave of heat wash over them, and they began to sweat profusely.

"Tulio! What's going on? I'm scared!"

As Linda began shouting at Tulio, her daughter began to cry and squirm in her grasp. Tulio suddenly realized what was happening amidst the the deafening din.

"Linda! We have to get inside! That meteor is coming towards the city! Hurry!"

He rushed his family inside, and after slamming the door, he cowered behind the living-room couch with the rest of them. The insidious heat soon filled the house, and the light from outside grew to blinding proportions.

The roar completely drowned out the urgent message on the TV, and as the house began to shake, the four humans all shut their eyes and prayed for the nightmare to end.

The meteor zoomed past their house and plunged into the jungle, scarring a path of destruction as it plowed through the soft ground. The sirens continued to blare, but the light and heat had faded away.

Tulio popped his eyes open and gazed at his trembling wife.

"I think...the meteor...hit somewhere in the sanctuary, Linda."

"I hope Blu and Jewel are okay! Nothing could have survived being in the path of that thing. We need to go check on them!"

"Okay, Linda! Go put Vanessa to bed. I am going to call the authorities! Fernando, you stay here and watch over your sister."

They all hesitantly rose up from behind the couch, and everyone except Tulio made for Linda's bedroom. He stopped briefly to shut the TV off before extracting his cellphone from his pocket. He quickly dialed the emergency hot-line, but it took him several minutes to even get through.

He informed the dispatcher that the meteor had landed in his sanctuary, and he didn't know if there was a fire or not. The dispatcher thanked him for the information, and reassured him that the firemen and policemen were on their way.

He stashed the phone back in his pocket and crept quietly into the room. Linda had already tucked their daughter in, and she quickly fell asleep due to her previous crying. Fernando was sitting on the edge of the bed, right next to her crib.

"Take care of her, Fernando. We will be back as soon as possible!" whispered Linda.

"Okay, mother. Just be careful!"

She nodded to him and made for the door after Tulio. They exited out the back of their house, and sure enough, a pillar of smoke was rising from deep in the jungle.

"_Meu Deus_! Is that smoke from a fire, or is that coming from the meteor?"

"That is a good question, Linda. We will have to wait until the policemen arrive, if we want to find out..."

A mere ten minutes later, Tulio heard the doorbell ring as he was waiting inside the house. He approached the door and determinedly opened it. A fire truck, along with two police cars, were parked on the winding dirt road that served as their driveway, their lights strobing continuously.

The policeman at the door shook Tulio's hand and asked, "Is everything okay, Sir?"

"Mostly, officer..."

"Lopez. Call me Lopez. This is my partner, officer Sandoval."

"Nice to meet you, officer Lopez and officer Sandoval. You can call me Tulio."

"You called to report the possible crash site, correct?"

"Yes. I can take you to it, if you want."

"Lead the way, Tulio."

"Right this way..."

Tulio led the two officers and the fireman back through the house and out onto the back porch. Linda joined them after a brief introduction, and they hesitantly made their way down the twisted path that led into the jungle. After nearly a half-hour trek through the undergrowth, the acrid smell of scorched plant matter filled the air, and the five humans knew that the meteor lay somewhere close by.

Officer Sandoval forced his way past a half-withered fern, and he motioned rapidly for the others to come over. They sidled up to him, and a mere fifteen feet ahead lay the culprit of the recent disaster, in a large smoking crater. The foliage had been flattened all around, but thankfully, no real blazes had sprung up.

"Well, well. Look what we have here. That is quite a stone, wouldn't you say, Lopez?"

"In all my years as a police officer, I never dreamed that I would see something like this..."

"Officer Lopez, officer Sandoval, we should get to smothering these tiny fires, before one of them actually gets going."

"Right away, Nestor..."

The three men tromped all over the crash site, smothering the fires underfoot before throwing piles of earth on top. Striking orange tape that read, in black lettering: _Perigo! Não atravesse! _was set up around the perimeter by the two policemen, and after they radioed the location of the crash to their HQ, they decided it was time to leave.

"It will take some time to figure out how to remove this meteor, but as soon as we find out anything, we will call you. Thank you for your cooperation, Tulio. Do you mind if we escort you back home?"

"No thanks, officer Sandoval. We can find our way back. Besides, we have to check on a pair of rare macaws that live here."

"Suit yourself. Have a good night, you two..."

The three men disappeared back into the undergrowth and vanished from sight.

"Come on, Linda. We need to find the clearing. They must be safe, because the clearing isn't anywhere near here. I just hope that they weren't out and about when it came in."

"Okay, Tulio. I trust you. Let's get moving then..."

Had they turned around after leaving the crash site, they would have noticed a strange black shadow oozing across the ground, withering any plant life that it came into contact with. As they trudged through the jungle, they had noticed an odd sensation inside them, as if something was trying to stain their souls. The twisted feeling slowly vanished as they walked on, only to be replaced by anxiety at what they might find in the clearing...

After a tiring search, the two humans had finally arrived at the border of the clearing. They concealed themselves amidst the leafy screen and kept their gaze focused for any sign of movement. After en exhausting twenty minute wait, they suddenly jerked up to see two azure birds glide above them and alight in the tree.

Linda breathed a huge sigh of relief, and she whispered, "Can we go talk to them, Tulio?"

"No, Linda. They need to get their rest. I bet that they got as much of a scare from the meteor as we did! Besides, they looked perfectly fine."

"Okay, Tulio. Can we come check on them tomorrow then?"

"Absolutely, Linda. Let's head on home. Our children are waiting..."

Back at their home, they encountered Fernando sitting next to his sleeping sister, and they quietly sent him off to bed. They climbed into their own, and despite the traumatic events of the past few hours, they fell into a peaceful sleep, knowing that the two Spix's Macaws were safe and sound...

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><p>Blu and Jewel were sitting in their hollow and chatting happily with their three grown children. They were now nearly equal in size to their parents, and they could finally talk to them at eye level. They had just finished a hearty supper of fresh dragon fruit, and Esperanza, Vicente, and Ricardo were just getting ready to leave for their own homes.<p>

They paused at the edge of the hollow, and as they turned to face their parents, disheartened expressions appeared on their faces.

Ricardo began, "Bye, Mama. Bye, Papa."

His brother added, "We will miss you."

Esperanza concluded, "We love you so much!"

Blu went over to them and gave them each a stroke with his wing.

"I love you too, and so does your mother. We both will miss you just the same, but we will always be here whenever you need us. Go get some rest, and we wish you sweet dreams."

The three macaws departed from the tree and out into the jet-black night, the sound of their wing-beats slowly fading away.

"Such wonderful children we have, Jewel. But _you_, _honey_, are just as wonderful, in your own way."

"Is that so? Well, how about I _prove_ it to you?"

She strutted seductively over to him and shoved him to the floor. As he reclined on his back, Jewel leaned down and proceeded to kiss him heavily. So involved were they in their make-out session that they did not hear the sound of their children rushing back towards the hollow.

As the three macaws alighted inside, they immediately turned away from the embarrassing scene in front of them.

Vicente exclaimed, "Mama! Papa! Please stop! You need to come outside! Quick!"

He and his brother and sister dashed outside and flew up to the crown of the tree.

"Mmmm. Should...we stop, Jewel? They sound...excited."

"I guess. We don't want to...keep them waiting."

The two love-drunk macaws staggered to their talons and made their way outside. After they joined their children on one of the top branches, Esperanza motioned for them to look out across the jungle, towards the sea. A celestial light show was on display above the horizon, and Blu immediately identified it.

"Look, Jewel! It's a meteor shower! I saw a few of these back in Minnesota. This one is just as beautiful as the rest. Is it okay if I say that it reminds me of you?"

Jewel blushed uncontrollably at her mate's comparison, and she couldn't help but lean over and give him a quick kiss.

"What is a 'meteor shower,' Papa?"

"It happens when space debris ends up getting caught by the pull of Earth's gravity. They fall into the atmosphere and burn up, and that is what creates the streaks of lights you see. Most are too small to make it to the ground, though, so there is nothing to worry about. I read a few books about them back at Linda's bookstore, but I am still not an expert. Also, humans have this rule that if you make a wish on a shooting star, it is supposed to come true. But you have to say it in your head, and not out loud."

One by one, the five macaws cast their wishes out into the night as the stars continued to fall.

Blu and Jewel wished for long and plentiful lives, and maybe a few more children in the future.

Their children wished instead for better timing on their part, so that they could avoid finding their parents in the process of "expressing themselves" in the future.

They re-opened their eyes and focused on the distant horizon once more, but as they did so, strange sight met their gaze. One of the streaks of light had fallen a short distance and then stopped, and it was growing brighter by the second.

A rumble soon resonated across the city, and the macaws could feel it in their chests. As Blu glanced around at the edges of the clearing, he could see many hundreds of birds gathered in the nearby treetops for the same purpose of watching the shower.

Blu then turned back to the distant ball of light, and suddenly, a loud wail began assaulting his ears.

"What is that sound, Blu? It's horrible!"

"I-I don't know, Jewel!"

His children scooted up against their mother, and she in turn drew herself up to her mate's side. The rumble had grown into a roar over the course of a few minutes, and the two sounds melted into one awful chorus. Just then, a wave of heat swept over the jungle, and the macaws felt like they were being baked in their feathers.

Esperanza, Vicente, and Ricardo began to tremble, and they each voiced their emotions in the form of words.

"I am scared, Papa!" shouted Ricardo.

"I'm so hot!" added Esperanza.

"Are we going to die?" questioned Vicente.

Blu hugged his mate tightly, unable to answer any of his children's questions. In his mind, he tried to piece together the many facets of the present situation. Eventually, they all fell into place, and they revealed to him one grim mental puzzle.

"Jewel! That meteor must have been big enough to make it through the atmosphere! I think it's heading for the city!"

"Oh no! What do we do, Blu? What if it hits the jungle? What if it hits _us_?"

"There is not much we can do, except hide! Get inside the tree, and quick!"

Their three children turned and flew down to the nest, and Jewel followed right after them. Blu paused to get one last look at the jungle all around, and the sky was filled with the squawks and screams of hundreds of scattering birds. He quickly dropped from the tree and glided swiftly into his home.

He ran over to the far corner and huddled up with his family. The heat permeated the hollow with ease, and the macaws closed their eyes tight, praying desperately for this nightmare to run its course. A blinding orange glow filled the air, and the meteor flew straight towards the sanctuary.

It passed the edge of the clearing and dropped to the ground, gouging its way hundreds of feet into the jungle. A loud, persistent cracking noise could be heard as the space rock tore through the trees like a bullet through a sea of wine glasses. As the light faded away, all that remained was the undulating howl from before.

"B-Blu? It is over? A-are we s-still alive?"

Blu opened his eyes just to make sure, and the familiar space of the hollow was revealed to him.

"I think so, Jewel. You can get up now..."

The five quivering macaws peeled themselves from the wall , and Jewel hesitantly made her way over to the exit. Blu quickly joined her, and they slowly peered out into the clearing. The screaming noise had faded, much to their relief, but they caught sight of a column of smoke rising from the jungle to the west of them.

"I think that is where the meteor hit. Can we go check it out, Blu?"

"I don't know, Jewel. I don't have a clue as to what that rock could do to us. The jungle might be burning near the crash site, too."

Ricardo squeezed his way in next to them and said, "I want to go see it, father. We don't have to stay for long. Just a quick look. _Please_?"

Blu merely sighed, and he knew that he couldn't deny such an innocent request. True, he was also incredibly curious himself, but he didn't let it show. It wasn't everyday that you could witness the entry of a meteor, and even more amazing, having it land in your _own_ backyard.

"Fine. But just a short look, and then you and your siblings will have to go home. I don't even want to know how late it is..."

They all flew from the tree and banked to the left, heading directly for the scar that extended deep into the jungle. As they flew above, they were awed by the devastation that the space rock had caused. Trees lay splintered and burned on both sides of the gouge, and it looked as though they were disintegrating at an alarming rate.

Several flocks of birds had gathered down the length of the scar, and some were crying, apparently mourning the loss of their homes. Others were limping along with broken wings, and others had been burned and were missing feathers.

Sadly, a few had been crushed by the falling trees, and their battered bodies could be seen among the twisted branches. Others had borne burns too severe for life, and their blackened bodies were emanating streams of smoke.

As the five macaws reached the crash site and alighted in a still-standing tree, they were shocked by what they saw: The space rock had come to rest in a crater much larger than itself, and the trees all around it had been flattened in a circular pattern.

Large chunks of flaming rock littered the area, and several small fires were crackling here and there. The bulk of the meteor that remained was throwing up thick billows of smoke, and a powerful bubble of heat seemed to surround it.

"Look at it, Papa! It must have been huge when it first came in!"

"I know, Ricardo. No wonder it did so much damage. It would have taken more than trees to break it apart!"

"Can I go touch it, Mama?"

"Absolutely not, Esperanza! You can't even get close to it even if you wanted to! The smoke and heat would probably kill you. You will stay right here in this tree."

"Okay, Mama..."

Blu gazed around at the neighboring trees, and many other birds had gathered to inspect the culprit of the disaster. Blu then heard sirens spring to life off in the distance, and they were rapidly growing louder. He knew that they belonged to fire trucks and police cars that had come to investigate this very location.

"Jewel, we need to get out of here. The authorities are coming, and we need to head back home."

"Okay, Blu. I doubt if I will be able to get any sleep, though."

She peered past her mate and glared at her three children commandingly.

"You three need to fly home now. There is nothing more to see, and the humans are on their way. Try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Yes, mother."

"Okay, Mama."

"See you tomorrow."

The three birds lifted off from the branch and flew northwest out over the wreckage, in the direction of their homes.

"Come on, honey. Let's go home. It's getting late..."

The two macaws followed the gouge in the earth back to their home, and they quickly settled down together in their nest.

"I don't want to sleep, Blu. _Eu só sei que eu vou ter pesadelos..._"

He wrapped his left wing around her and pulled her close, giving her a reassuring kiss on her head.

"Do not be afraid, Jewel. _Eu estou aqui com você._ I will chase them away for you. Go ahead and sleep. Dream sweet dreams, my dear. Dream sweet dreams..."

As Blu whispered that phrase over and over and stroked the back of her neck with his wing, she relaxed into him and quickly drifted off. Blu soon found himself slipping away into unconsciousness as well, and he gladly welcomed its embrace. His wings fell to his sides and his eyes drew shut.

Blu dreamed that he had returned to the impact site, and he found himself gazing curiously at the ground beneath him. The grass and trees seemed to wither away, and as he continued watching, the area of death kept growing wider and wider, with the meteor at its center.

He felt a strange numbness creep into his body, and he lost his grip on the branch. He plummeted to the ground with a thud, and he was immobilized where he landed, right next to the hulking stone. A red glow was visible at the center of the meteor, and it was pulsing steadily.

The glow grew more and more defined, and Blu felt his blood begin to boil. As he lay there in limitless agony, yet unable to move, he wished for death to come and take him away. Blu gazed up helplessly at the inky sky above, and he felt his wings detach from his body with a gory bubbling sound.

His heart began to slow down, and his pupils soon brightened to match the color at the center of the stone that was now melting him.

_What is going on! What is happening to me? Make it stop! Please, somebody kill me!_

As his organs corroded out of existence, he knew that his death was inevitable. His heart shriveled up, and for a few brief seconds, Blu was a living creature without a heartbeat. A cloud of black smoke drifted over him, and his soul was whisked away to another realm. What was left of his body soon disintegrated, and all that was left of him was a pile of fetid ash encircling his blackened skeleton...

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><p><strong>AN:**

**Eu prometo.=I promise.**

**Meu Deus!=My God!**

**Perigo! Não atravesse!=Danger! Do not cross!**

**Eu só sei que eu vou ter pesadelos...=I just know that I'll have nightmares...**

**Eu estou aqui com você.=I'm here with you.**

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><p><strong>Count Doofus and I request your feedback! Please review!<strong>


	2. Calm Before The Storm

**Chapter 2:Calm Before The Storm**

Jewel was actually enjoying her peaceful sleep, despite the events that unfolded several hours prior. Little did she know, her mate was not faring as well. She felt him shift and squirm next to her, followed by a terror-laden shriek.

Jewel was instantly startled awake, and she found her mate plastered against the wall just behind her. He chest was heaving steadily and his pupils were dilated.

"Blu! What was that for? I was having a lovely rest! Can't you be quieter next time?"

Blu turned to her, and he spoke in stunned fragments.

"Meteor...terrible...death...nightmare..."

As Jewel soaked up his words, she immediately grew shameful of her hostility.

"You had a nightmare? Oh, I am so sorry! Are you okay?"

She climbed from her nest and ambled over to him. After fanning him gently with her wings for several minutes, he regained most of his composure.

"Are you feeling better now?" I'm sorry for yelling..."

"Yeah. That fanning felt nice, so thanks. Consider your apology accepted..."

Blu lifted himself from the wall and shambled back to the nest.

Jewel reclaimed her spot next to him, and after placing her wing on his back, she asked, "What was the nightmare about? Do you mind telling me?"

"I, uh, dreamed that I had flown back to the meteor. The jungle around it was slowly dying right in front of my eyes. As I kept watching, my body grew numb, and then I fell off of the branch I was perched on. I landed right next to the space rock, and I couldn't move. Then I...I...died..."

As his words pealed into the air, Jewel now realized why he had been torn from his sleep.

"Oh, that's terrible! Thank goodness it was only a dream! That couldn't possibly happen for real, right?"

"I hope not, Jewel. There is no telling what that meteor can do, if it does anything at all. I pray that we don't find out, either."

"Me too. Can you try to go back to sleep?"

"I will try my best, Jewel. Good night..."

"Good night, Blu. See you in the morning..."

The two macaws settled down in the nest once again, and the veil of sleep was hesitant to visit them again. After spending nearly an hour in a nervous, half-conscious state, they finally slipped into the black.

As the night dragged on around them, they prayed fervently for the sun to rise as quickly as possible, hoping that neither of them would be haunted by any recurring nightmares.

The following sunrise provided a welcoming kiss for the two macaws, and they awoke feeling quite relieved.

"Good...morning, Blu. Man, do I feel great!"

"Good morning, Jewel. It's like I never even had the nightmare! I feel like I've been charged with energy!"

After heartily stretching their wings and walking around for a few moments, the macaws felt a gnawing sensation deep inside them. Blu's stomach, in particular, was sending audible hunger signals.

"Maybe we should go get a bite to eat. Your stomach rumbles are making me even more hungry!"

"Are they? Well, lead the way, _meu anjo!_"

Jewel smirked and blasted from the hollow, shouting, "Last one to find our breakfast has to carry all of the food back!"

Blu took off from the tree, and he saw that she was already halfway across the clearing. "Hey! _Não é justo! _You had a head start!"

Jewel did not reply as she pierced the border and vanished, and Blu powered his wings in response. He soon entered the jungle in her wake, and he frantically scanned around, hoping that he would have the good luck to find a decent fruit tree before her...

Much to his relief _and_ enjoyment, the odds had swung in his favor, and Blu alighted in the crown of a dragon-fruit tree.

He called out, "Oh, Jewel! _Adivinha o que eu achei!_ Come here, honey!"

Blu did not have to wait long before he saw a blue shape weaving through the greenery towards his location. Jewel alighted down next to him, and her face was fraught with disappointment.

"Oh man! I guess you won the game, Blu. I guess we should head on home now. Let me pick some of these first..."

She was obviously more disturbed than she let on, and Blu knew just the remedy for this situation.

As Jewel began carefully plucking the pink fruits from the tree, Blu declared, "Wait here, Jewel. I will be right back!"

He glided from the tree, and was soon obscured by the lush sea of jungle plants.

"_Ele não está voltando._ I bet he flew straight for our nest! Well, he won fair and square..."

Much to her surprise, he soon returned, and clutched gently in his right talon was a stunning, rose-tinted orchid. He climbed over the branches and stopped in front of her. He firmly inserted the orchid into her head feathers and stepped back to admire her.

"_Uma orquídea para você, meu amor._"

"Thank you, Blu! I thought you had gone home to wait for me! You-"

Before she concluded her assumption, he proceeded to extricate two dragon fruit from her talons and hold them with his own.

"Why did you do that?"

"You looked very disappointed that you lost, so I brought you the orchid to cheer you up! Oh, and did you actually think that I would make you do _all _of the work?"

"I am a little frustrated, but you won fair and square. I should be the one to-"

Blu lifted a wing to her beak and stared deeply into her eyes.

"Shhh. No more arguing. I am going to help you, whether you like it or not. I love you too much to see you tire yourself out over a silly game."

"I...don't know what to say..."

"A simple 'thank you' would suffice..."

His caring words had touched her heart, and she decided to skip the thank you. Feeling adventurous, she merely closed her eyes and locked her beak with his. His surprise soon turned to passion, and he kissed back instinctively. After a few minutes of allowing their tongues to dance with each other, they drew apart and collected themselves.

"Did _that _suffice, Blu?"

"Mmmm. I believe so, my love-hawk. Let's head on home, shall we?"

"_Depois, bonito..._"

After a smooth flight back to their home, the two macaws feasted contentedly on the fresh fruit. Their stomachs full and their minds clear, Blu and Jewel focused on how they would pass the time on this oddly peaceful day.

They soon remembered the tumult of the previous night, and they realized that one party in particular needed a visit from them.

They headed back out into the afternoon glow and flew on a northwesterly track through the sanctuary. They had purposely flown to the west of the meteor, and it had remained well hidden among the leafy undergrowth.

They encountered the objects of their search soon after: a trio of roughly adjacent trees almost directly in their flight path. However, they soon discovered that the trees were empty, which meant their children were away.

They landed in the center tree and contemplated the courses of action that they could take.

"Well, I had hoped that they would be here. What should we do?"

"I don't mind waiting for them to come back. I would hate to leave, only to have them show up right after!"

"You make a good point. Let's get settled down and keep a lookout for them..."

The two macaws waited patiently in the sheltered hollow for their children to return. The sun continued to trace its daily arc across the sky, and the temperature outside had climbed steadily. Blu and Jewel settled down for a quick nap, hoping to gain some relief from the now sweltering heat outside.

Over two hours after their arrival, their children had returned to seek refuge from the heat, and Vicente was the one who had discovered them.

He stood on the edge of his hollow and whispered hotly, "Ricardo! Esperanza! Look who I found!"

He trudged over to his sleeping parents, and his siblings soon joined him.

"Should we wake them?"

"I think so, Ricardo. They must have come here to check on us."

"Who wants to do it?" queried the female.

Both Ricardo and Vicente whispered instantly, "Not me!"

"Darn! I was too late..."

Esperanza moved forward and stroked her wing across their chests, one by one.

They stirred at her touch, and their eyes creaked open moments later. A veil of jovial recognition stained their faces, and they quickly rose to their talons.

"How have you been, _meus filhos?_ We have been waiting for you!"

Ricardo smiled and said, "We've been doing just fine, mother. We were talking with some of our friends, but it just got too hot, so we opted to come home."

"We are glad to hear that. It was so nice this morning, and now look how it turned out!" exclaimed Blu.

"Well, is there anything that you wanted to tell us?"

"Not really, Vicente. We just came to have a nice family chat. Is there anything that you three want to tell _us_?"

Before one of them could answer, Blu suddenly felt a more pressing concern arise in his mind.

"The chat can wait, Jewel. We need to go see Linda and Tulio! They must be so worried about us, what with the meteor yesterday and the heat today!"

"Oh, my! You're right! Do you want to tag along, children?"

They all three shouted, "Of course!"

The five macaws emerged from the tree and set their flight path for the sanctuary building. The moist jungle air only made the heat worse, giving the atmosphere a sticky quality. The flight across the jungle was an irritating one, and the macaws were relieved to see the ivory facade of the building appear between the gaps in the undergrowth.

They glided around the structure in search of an open window, but it dawned on Blu that Tulio had closed them so that he could operate the A/C.

They landed at the foot of the polished wooden front door, and Jewel proceeded to strike it with her beak several times.

A loud shuffling could be heard from behind the door, and moments later, it flew open. Standing in the entrance was none other than Linda, and she was looking down at them with a mix of surprise and happiness.

"Oh hey guys! Come on in! Tulio and I were going to check on you, but it grew too hot... "

The five birds clambered quickly inside, and they were met with a refreshing blast of cool air. Linda closed the door resolutely and walked over to the five birds, who were now gathered on the living-room floor. Blu and Jewel gazed around curiously and gave short squawks.

They then gazed up at Linda and squawked again. She guessed that they were wondering where Tulio was.

"Tulio isn't here right now, Blu! He and Fernando had to go pay some bills and take a trip to the market. They didn't want to go out in this heat, but I made them do it anyway! Vanessa needs some more food. She-"

Vanessa, having heard the raucous noises outside of her bedroom, quickly opened the door and dashed towards the source of the sound. She stopped in the hallway and glared at the blue objects sitting in front of her mom.

She pointed at them and chuckled, "Birdies! I...hold them! Come birdies!"

Blu and Jewel noticed Linda's daughter staring directly at them, and Blu asked, "Why is she looking at us like that?"

"I don't know. Should we be worried?"

At that moment, she hobbled forwards and stretched out her arms, giggling all the while. She ran right up to the blue birds, and in one quick motion, grabbed Jewel and squeezed her to her chest. The baby was stronger than she looked, and Jewel gave a shriek of alarm as she tried to struggle free.

"A little..help here...Blu! I can't breathe! Do something!"

Blu stared at his captive mate as she squirmed in Vanessa's grasp, and he had to admit, it was actually quite amusing.

"Like what? Attack the baby? I am sorry, but it's kind of funny, seeing you wriggling about like that!"

"Oh...really? _Espero que ela agarra a próxima!_"

Linda was concerned that Vanessa was possibly hurting Jewel, so she pointed at her daughter and declared, "_Não! Coloque-a para baixo!_"

"Okay!"

Vanessa released her grip on the female bird, and she dropped awkwardly to the carpet beneath. Her feathers were terribly ruffled, as if she had been zapped with electricity.

"The nerve! It seems that Linda has some more work to do regarding her daughter's manners. Just look at my feathers!"

Blu pointedly turned away, and his quivering body could mean only one thing: he was trying his best to contain his laughter, but it wasn't working too well.

Her three children were trying to hold back their amusement as well, and their faces were contorted from the effort.

"Oh, you think this is funny? It's your turn, Blu!"

Jewel tromped over towards her mate, but a flash of movement stopped her in her tracks. Vanessa had reached down and snatched Blu up instead! She proceeded to nuzzle and constrict the macaw, and Blu gazed down a Jewel with a desperate look in his eyes.

"Why are you just standing there? Help! Ahhh!"

Blu gave a frustrated squawk, and his attempts to get free were futile. Linda immediately went over and peeled her daughter's arms off of him. She scolded her and placed her resolutely on her hip. Blu was rendered into a mirror image of Jewel, and now it was her turn to laugh.

"Ha ha ha! If I may use an old quote of yours: "_O que vai, volta!_"

"At least we're even! Now, can we cease the humiliation and have some quality time with Linda? That's what we came here for!"

"Sure, Blu! Your request has been granted! I'll remember this day for quite awhile!"

"So will we!" exclaimed their children.

Linda had brought Vanessa's high-chair into the living-room and rooted it next to the couch. After setting her down in it and sticking a bottle in her mouth, Linda dropped onto the couch and clicked on the TV. Jewel had lofted herself onto the soft leather next to Linda's head and turned to face her mate and children.

"_Você vem ou não?_"

Blu swiveled around to them and said, "Come on, you three. We better not keep your mother waiting..."

Blu perched on the opposite side of Linda, while his three children settled themselves down at her feet. A cooking show had just come on, and Linda had riveted her eyes to the screen.

As the lady on the show began setting out the ingredients for some sort of stew, Blu felt a shroud of nostalgia smother him, and he shuddered slightly.

Jewel noticed his reaction from the corner of her eye. She crept carefully along the sofa behind Linda's head, and he scooted over for her.

"_Ha algo de errado?_"

"Not at all, Jewel. This show just reminds me of the Rachel Ray I watched back in Minnesota. Linda would sit down in front of the tiny TV she had and write down the recipes she liked. Sometimes, she would make them for dinner and share the food with me..."

"That must've been nice."

"Yeah. Maybe we can stick around and see if she will make us some of that stew for dinner tonight."

"I don't see why not. I just hope that it will turn out as good as it looks on the TV! I'm not trying to say that Linda is a bad cook, though."

"I know, honey. Let's get back to the show..."

True to form, Linda had rushed into her bedroom and returned with a notebook and a pencil. She deftly began writing down the ingredients and the directions as the cook spoke, and although they were in Portuguese, she had no trouble understanding them.

The cooking show wrapped up an hour later, only to be followed up by another. Vanessa had fallen asleep in her chair, and Linda got up from the couch to tend to her. She removed her from the chair and carried her to the bedroom.

After putting her gently down in her crib, Linda returned to the couch and pulled out her cellphone. She dialed her husband's number, and he answered on the first ring.

"Hello, dear! I need to ask you something."

"Yes, Linda?"

"Can you go to the market and pick up some things for dinner tonight? I have a recipe for some stew that I want to make."

"Okay, Linda. What do you need?"

"I need..."

She had proceeded to tell him the ingredients, and after saying goodbye, she hung up the phone. She turned around to face Blu and Jewel and declared, "Would you like to have some stew tonight? It will be just like old times, Blu!"

Before replying, he gazed at Jewel and said, "Told ya!"

He faced Linda and raised his foot, and she smiled happily. They conducted their trademark "handshake," and Blu gave a soft shriek of joy.

The day dragged on, and shortly after the five o'clock news session, Tulio and Fernando had arrived, albeit hot and sweaty. They threw open the door and asked for Linda's help in unloading the groceries. After making several trips in and out, they had brought in a large number of plastic bags loaded with food.

Linda went into the kitchen and started sorting through the pile of groceries on the counter, while Tulio had shambled into the bathroom for a much needed shower. He had emerged after a longer than usual shower, and Fernando went in next.

He then joined his wife in the kitchen, and sorting the rest of the groceries consumed the remainder of the hour. Hunger brewing in both of their stomachs convinced Linda to prepare the stew. The five macaws moved over into the kitchen and alighted on the slick tile counter.

They watched curiously as she moved about the space, going back and forth between her notebook and a covered iron pot on the stove. Tulio would occasionally pause her determined shuffling to give her a cooking tip, or at other times help her measure out the proper amount of a spice or herb.

A short time after the pot had started to simmer, despite being covered with a lid, strong scents had escaped and mingled with the air. The most noticeable odors were of onions, fish, bell peppers, and a sweet undertone that Blu and Jewel could not place.

The meal seemed to be taking longer than the macaws expected, and they had grown restless on the counter. Blu swiveled around and glanced at the clock above the TV.

"It's already 7:15, Jewel. Maybe we should go occupy ourselves until Linda and Tulio are finished cooking."

"Oh, wow. I guess you're right. Why don't we go take a nap?"

"Sure. We can go off into the enclosure where we first met."

"Fine with me..."

The five macaws squawked before flying off to the aviary enclosure, hoping that the two humans would get the message.

"I will come and get you when it's done!" shouted Linda.

The dish was finally ready to be eaten over thirty minutes later, and while Linda had been setting the plates out on the table, her husband had gone to retrieve the five macaws. They alighted once more on the counter, and the familiar smell from before quickly perked them up.

Fernando and Tulio were already seated, but Linda motioned for them to hold off on eating. She filled five small bowls with the chunky stew and brought them over to the waiting macaws.

"This is _Moqueca Bahiana_. Go ahead and try it! I left everything in it except for the fish, since I know that you won't eat that."

The tantalizing smell arising from the bowls was too much to resist, and the blue birds slowly munched on the oily bell peppers on top. They then sipped up the small amount of juice at the bottom, and their eyes widened with joy.

"Do you like it?"

One by one, they stared at Linda and gave high-pitched squawks.

"Wonderful!"

She returned to the table, fixed her own bowl, and declared, "Let's eat, everyone!"

As the three humans dug in, the macaws consumed the rest of their meal.

"I figured out what makes this stuff so sweet!"

"What is that, Jewel?"

"Coconut oil!"

"Really? Well, it sure is good! I would never have guessed that coconut oil would make a stew this luscious!"

"Me neither..."

The five bowls were empty before the humans had finished, and although Linda had offered them another round, they simply had no more room in their stomachs. The blue glow of evening was pouring in through the closed windows, prompting Blu, Jewel, and their children to head home.

They flew over to the door and waited patiently for Linda to let them out. She bent down and whispered, "Goodbye, my lovely macaws! Stay away from that meteor, you hear? The police came and sectioned it off yesterday, and they still have to sort out what to do with it.

Anyways, try to get a good night's rest and have sweet dreams..."

The macaws nodded and lifted off into the still-warm air, executing a quick one-eighty and heading back for the jungle. They stopped in Blu and Jewel's home for awhile to say their goodbyes.

"Good night, Mama. Good night, Papa. _Doces sonhos. Nós te amamos._"

Blu and Jewel then gave each of their children caring hugs, and they followed it up with a final parting speech.

"We love you too. Just like Linda said, do not attempt to visit the meteor again. It is nothing but trouble. We hope that the police will eventually do something about it. But for now, just be careful where you fly, okay?"

"No problem. We will see you tomorrow!"

They smiled one last time and flew from the tree, the sound of their wing-beats quickly soaked up by the humid atmosphere.

"I was thinking that...maybe _we _should go check out the impact site one more time. What do you say, Blu?"

"Hmmm. _Eu sinto um hipócrita neste oco..._"

He glared directly at his mate as she spoke.

"I am sorry, Blu. It's just that...I am still curious."

"Here's a saying that we use back in America: _A curiosidade matou o gato..._"

"That may be, but we are not cats, Blu."

"Oh come on, Jewel. You get the point! I, for one, do NOT want to go back there. I am not inclined to reliving my nightmare."

"Nothing will happen, Blu. That's all it was. A _nightmare._ It can't be real. Let's just go see it one more time."

No matter how hard he tried, Blu knew by now that she could not be swayed.

"If you insist, Jewel. But this is the last time, okay? I don't want either of us to get hurt."

"Fine with me, Blu. Now come on. It's getting dark out..."

Jewel led the way towards their destination, and an odd feeling of regret was crawling around inside her. She merely ignored it, since she felt that it was just a subconscious reaction to Blu's nightmare. They arrived at the impact site after a few more minutes of flying, and they were shocked at how the jungle had changed over the past day.

A large area portion of the jungle was blackened and dead, and a fetid smell had permeated the area. Blu and Jewel had been forced to observe the scene from the ground, as all of the nearby trees had been rotted away somehow.

"What is going on? This is terrible! The jungle is dying! It wasn't like this yesterday!"

Blu's nightmare relapsed mentally, and he began to quiver with fear.

"J-Jewel, this is part of w-what I saw in my nightmare. We h-have to go! Now!"

"You are just being silly! Nothing is going to happen to _us_. I want to look around for a bit..."

Unbeknownst to them, an odd black shadow was creeping across the ground, an it had drawn very close to them as they argued.

"You have seen enough, Jewel. We need to go home. I think the whole jungle is in danger, not just us. Please?"

As much as she wanted to stay, her skin had begun to crawl, and this place did appear slightly creepy.

"Well, I am getting a little freaked out. Fine, let's go. Though I still don't see what could possibly harm us..."

She walked a short ways before lofting into flight, and as Blu made to follow, he took one step and tripped. His feet had somehow gone numb, and he was stabbed with fear once again.

_Oh no! I have to get away! I don't want to die!_

He flapped his wings desperately as he began to lose his balance. Thankfully, he had gotten airborne, and he flew rapidly away from the death pit behind him. He caught up to Jewel without her even knowing that he had lagged behind, and they were soon back in the comfort of their tree.

His feet had regained their feeling, much to his relief, and he settled down in his nest. Between the concern over the meteor and his food-laden stomach, his mind was drained, and he tried to doze off. Jewel, however, had been waiting all day for something more...energetic than sleep.

She climbed in beside Blu and whispered, "I want to tell you something, handsome..."

"I am trying to sleep, Jewel. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

She pulled him from the nest and dragged him over to the wall opposite the exit hole.

"No, it can't. I have been waiting all day for... a little action..."

She shoved him mischievously against the wall and reclined against him, locking her beak with his. As much as his body had wanted to refuse, his mind had told him to keep going. The stuffy atmosphere had only served to magnify the level of passion that they had reached, and the heat of their twin bodies had risen to match.

Blu, however, was not ready to engage in this level of intimacy with Jewel. Not tonight, at least. As their tongues continued to slide over each other in a sensuous dance, Jewel grabbed Blu's neck and pulled him closer to her. She then locked her feet with his, trying her best to keep him trapped in their stimulating embrace.

He slowly stood up and pinned his mate against the very same wall, and he withdrew his beak from hers.

"Why...did you stop? _Isso foi incrível! Eu quero continuar..._"

"Not...tonight, Jewel. I am not...ready yet. We can pick up...where we left off...in a few days."

A dissatisfied fire burned in her eyes, and she screeched, "Not ready? Since when? We haven't made love in god knows how long! I want to feel you again, Blu. Every...single...inch of you."

"I know, Jewel. But I promise to indulge you, in every way possible, after five more days."

He forced himself against her intoxicating body, and their fluid-slick tongues met once again, sending electric jolts throughout their bodies. He drew back and whispered, "Deal?" "Mmmm. So _wonderful_. You have a deal, Blu."

He walked with her back to the nest, and they lovingly settled down next to each other.

"Good night, Jewel. _Lembre-se, mais cinco dias._"

"_Eu estarei esperando..._"

Blu stared at her momentarily before shutting his eyes with a sigh. Despite the lingering lust inside of her, something about his previous glare caused the pangs of regret to surface again.

_His eyes. Why were his eyes so dull? They used to be a rich brown hue, and now they lool like mud. Is he getting sick? I guess I will find out tomorrow..._

Jewel willed the negative feelings to go away, and they seemed to obey her. She slipped into an anxious sleep, knowing that each sunrise brought her that much closer to the night where Blu would fulfill his promise...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Meu anjo.=My angel.**

**Não é justo!=No fair!**

**Adivinha o que eu achei!=Guess what I found!**

**Ele não está voltando.=He isn't coming back.**

**Uma orquídea para você, meu amor.=An orchid for you, my love.**

**Depois, bonito...=After you, handsome...**

**Meus filhos.=My children.**

**Espero que ela agarra a próxima!=Just wait until she grabs you next!**

**Não! Coloque-a para baixo!=No! Put him down!**

**O que vai, volta!=What goes around, comes around!**

**Você vem ou não?=Are you coming or not?**

**Ha algo de errado?=Is something wrong?**

**Doces sonhos. Nós te amamos.=Sweet dreams. We love you.**

**Eu sinto um hipócrita neste oco...=I sense a hypocrite in this hollow...**

**A curiosidade matou o gato...=Curiosity killed the cat...**

**Isso foi incrível! Eu quero continuar...=That was amazing! I want to keep going...**

**Lembre-se, mais cinco dias.=Remember, five more days.**

**Eu estarei esperando...=I'll be waiting...**


	3. The Storm Breaks

**Chapter 3:The Storm Breaks**

The following morning, Blu woke up before Jewel, realizing he suffered through the same dream from before. The one where he would approach the meteor, feel his body go limp and slowly disintegrate into a heap of ash in excruciating pain.

He wanted so desperately dream something else, and silently cursed his inability to do so. He turned over to see his mate lying next to him, which he considered another dream, although a dream come true. Gently stroking her neck feathers, she stirred from her sleep.

"Mmmm...good morning, Blu."

"Morning, my everything. Sleep well?"

"I could've done with five more minutes, but yeah, I did," she yawned.

"Why don't we get a bite to eat, Blu?"

"You took the words right out of my beak! Let's go!"

After gathering their favorite foodstuffs and returning to the hollow, they ate in content silence. Just as they were about to head out for a well-needed bath, raucous sounds poured in from outside their hollow.

"What was that? Sounds like someone screaming."

"Yeah...and the voice is kind of familiar..."

Blu poked his head out to find the source of the disturbance. He turned his head in the direction of the shouts, and saw two Scarlet Macaws chasing one another at incredible speeds.

The one in the lead was flying around almost uncontrollably, weaving through, between, above and around branches and tree trunks, and Blu could tell that they weren't playing games.

The trailing macaw had no problem keeping up with the leader though, and it seemed to be closing in, despite the latter's best efforts. The leader took a turn into the direction of Blu's hollow, and it was then Blu recognized who he was seeing.

"I knew there was something familiar about that voice. It's Frank and Maricela!"

Jewel proceeded to place herself next to Blu, and her eyes locked on to the two hurtling macaws.

"What's going on? Why is Frank chasing her?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should get over there and find out."

Just then, Maricela flew by the tree, catching a glimpse of Blu and Jewel sitting in their hollow.

"Blu! Jewel! HELP!"

The blue macaws shook their heads and blinked. Was she calling for... help?

"Why? What's the matter?" Blu shouted.

"Frank's trying to kill me! I don't know why, but..."

She barely swooped past a branch, hoping that Frank would collide with it. He didn't, and it was just one more failed attempt for Maricela.

After a few turns back in the direction of the blue macaws, she continued.

"...he already killed our children! He's gone insane! Please, stop him!"

Blu and Jewel turned to each other, shock plastered on their faces.

"Frank killed his kids! But..."

"No time to think about it now, Jewel. If we don't do something, Frank will kill Maricela as well. We have to save her!"

Luckily, Blu had formulated an idea right away. It usually only worked in cartoons, but it just might do the trick. He leaned out of the hollow and gazed around for a suitable branch. He spotted one growing out of the trunk above him, and flew up to it.

He grabbed the branch at its end with his claws, and powered his wings in reverse, bending the bough significantly. He couldn't risk straining it too much, or it might snap off.

"Jewel! Get Maricela to follow you, and lead her here! I'll try to hit Frank with this branch!"

Jewel quickly hopped out and took off, chasing the pair of macaws.

"Maricela! Over here! Follow me, Blu has an idea!"

Maricela banked left as sharp as she could, making a little more space between her and her crazed husband, who had some minor trouble keeping up, due to her sudden move. She flew over to Jewel, who in turn started making way towards Blu and his intuitive trap.

"Blu! Get ready, here we come!"

He saw Jewel shoot by, quickly followed by Maricela. As soon as she passed, Blu released the branch, allowing it swing back to its original position. Fortunately for him, it slammed Frank square in the face, negating his momentum and stealing away his consciousness.

Spiraling down to the earth, he landed in a bush, where he lay motionless, save for his faster-than-normal breathing. Realizing she was no longer in immediate danger, Maricela perched herself on the closest branch she could find, panting from the incredible amount of stunts she just pulled, her sight fixed on her mate.

Jewel landed next to her, followed by Blu.

"What was that all about! What happened to Frank?"

"I don't know, Jewel! I was out looking for food, and when I came back, Frank..."

Maricela started sobbing, and she grabbed Jewel for comfort.

"He...killed our children! They came over to visit the night before, and they were still asleep when I left. He was standing over their Leo and Joaquin, their necks slashed open, and he had Valeria's neck gripped in his left foot. There was blood dripping all over his beak and claws.

Her neck bone was sticking out of...her throat. I screamed, and that's when he turned to me. He made this atrocious growl and tossed her body aside, and that is when I got a good look at his expression. His eyes...I'll never forget them...his eyes were pitch black. There was nothing to see but total darkness. He started lurching towards me. I tried to reason with him, but he ignored it and kept coming closer. That's when he pounced me, and gave me this gash."

She looked down to her belly and used a claw to move a few of her feathers, revealing a nasty cut. Given the color of her feathers, it was very hard to tell she had been bleeding.

"I somehow fought him off, and I had no choice but to fly away as fast as I could! I knew your hollow was around here somewhere, so I came for your help. Which you gave... so, thank you!"

"You're welcome. But, what if Frank wakes up? Shouldn't we restrain him or something? He might still be violent," Jewel wondered.

Blu shot his gaze down to the crumpled form of Frank.

"I'm going to take a look. Be ready in case he wakes up and comes after me."

"Be careful, Blu! If he's got no trouble killing his own children, he'll no doubt do the same to you!"

Heeding Jewel's warning, he glided down and landed a few feet away from the scarlet bird. The impact of the branch supplied Frank with a small gash on his forehead, where tiny splinters sat, surrounded by trickles of blood.

Blu carefully pried open one of his eyelids, and saw that Maricela was speaking the truth.

His eye was completely black, the pupil dilated as far as macaw biology would allow.

Stunned, he backed off, allowing the eyelid to shut itself again. He looked up to where Maricela and Jewel were sitting.

"You're right, there's nothing but black in his eyes. His breathing is also faster than it should be. Maybe we should..."

"Blu! Look out!"

Jewel's warning made him turn towards Frank once again. He felt his heart sink as he noticed Frank's eyes were wide open. Instead of getting up however, Frank just started rocking from left to right, making choking noises all the while.

"Frank? Can you hear me? What's the matter? Can you talk? Frank!"

Frank just continued doing what he did, which caused Blu's concern to grow. Even though he was very reluctant to do so, he came closer once again and put a wing on Frank's head. His reflexes made him pull it back instantly.

"Holy- you're burning up! There's no way you should be this hot. What is going on with you?"

Jewel and Maricela headed down to get a better look at what ailed the latter's mate.

"Oh Frank...I don't know how to help you..."

"Well, whatever is causing it is twisting his mind. You'd have to be irrevocably messed up to kill your own kids, and Frank always looked like a normal bird."

_I wonder..._

Blu tried to compose a theory in his mind.

"Maricela, do you know if Frank went near that meteor that landed in the jungle some time ago?"

"Well, yes. He went there yesterday evening. I didn't want to go, told him it was too dangerous. But he just said: 'Come on, how often do we get a chance like this?' I refused to go, so he flew off by himself, and when he came back, he looked out of sorts. He was having trouble breathing, and he was sweating more than I thought possible for a bird. This morning, it had only gotten worse, so I told him to stay in while I went out to gather our breakfast."

Thinking about what her husband did while she was gone, the scene replayed in her head, which caused her to break down again.

"Oh, Leo...Joaquin...my gorgeous Valeria. They fell asleep, and they never got to see the...sun rise again. How I wish I could hold you right now..."

Blu started to worry, but tried not to let it show. He had gotten close to the meteor as well, and he did have a slight fever this morning. He reasoned that since Frank 'turned' so quickly, he must've gotten far closer than Blu had. Or maybe Blu was just less susceptible.

"He seems pretty harmless now, but I still think we should tie him up. We don't know what's going on with him, but it's better to be safe than sorry," Jewel suggested.

Receiving no argument, they gathered some vines and wrapped them around Frank. He didn't put up a struggle, only continuing his desperate gasps for air. Blu began to notice he was also sweating. Last time he did that, was when he made a pitiful move on Jewel riding on top of a trolley car, a metal chain connecting their claws.

Trying to masquerade his worry, he knew it was a matter of time before this illness would turn _him_ too. He noticed that his fever had upped its intensity, and he just hoped everyone would be in a safe place before _that_ happened...

"We can't just leave him here. He's clearly sick, and needs help. If he can be helped at all, anyway," Jewel said again.

"Right. The only person I know that can do anything to help him is Tulio. Anyone want to grab one end of the vines, so we can take Frank to him?"

"Tulio? Who's that? I know a lot of birds, but this is a new name for me," Maricela wondered.

"Oh, he's not a bird. He's an ornitholo... um, a human bird doctor. He helped Jewel recover after her wing was broken a few years in the past, and we still visit him often. My old owner lives with him, too."

"I see. Well, what are we waiting for? I just...want my normal husband back!"

Just as Jewel and Blu had Frank's vine-bound body secured in their claws, he began to cough very violently. They looked down, and saw his eyes were now stained with red streaks running across them. They let go of the vines and landed to observe this new turn of events.

Frank continued to choke, and he gargled as blood spouted from his beak. Drops of it landed around his head. Blu noticed the drops were giving off steam, as if Frank's blood was boiling.

"Back off! Don't get hit by his blood, it might be contagious!" he shouted, extending his wings and pushing the female birds back.

Frank's body started convulsing, and the three macaws watched in horror as his body now began to give off steam. His once gorgeous crimson feathers started to char, almost as if he was being consumed by a flame-less fire. Even the vines wrapped around him started to dissolve into nothingness.

Finally, after merely a minute of what must have been truly hellish torment, all that was left of Frank was a charred skeleton, surrounded by a large patch of fetid ash. Jewel turned away. She couldn't stand looking at Frank's remains anymore, and wanted to get away from them as soon as possible.

Maricela hopped a few feet away and threw up behind a bush.

Blu came to a horrifying realization: Everything that happened to Frank just now was exactly what happened to him in his dream, and knew without a shadow of a doubt, that this was caused by that blasted meteor. He waited for Maricela to return, and she planted herself wearily next to Jewel after a few minutes.

"We need to get as far away from that meteor as fast as possible! Let's gather our friends and kids, and vamoose! Jewel, you get the kids. I'll go for Nico, Pedro, and the toucans. Take Maricela with you, and meet us back here. Go!"

Before she could respond, Blu had already taken off in the direction of Rafael's hollow. Shrugging, she collected Maricela and headed towards the hollows of her children.

* * *

><p>Given that Rafael's home wasn't too far from their own, Blu reached it within minutes. During his flight, he saw several more patches of ash on the ground, some even surrounded by dead birds.<p>

_Crazed birds and their victims, no doubt_, he figured.

He would also come across live ones, but they were too busy slaughtering their original target to notice Blu. He got ready to land on the branch that lead inside the toucan's hollow, when he glanced down and saw a black and white creature down on the ground...motionless. The closer he came to it, the more features he recognized. It was Eva, lying on her left side, eyes shut tight.

She lay in a puddle of blood... her blood. After Blu landed, he brought his head closer, but could not pick up her breathing. It didn't take him long to realize she was dead. Just then, a weak scream erupted from the hollow.

"Rafael! Hang on, I'm coming!"

Blu launched himself towards the hollow, where Rafael tried to crawl out from. His right wing was torn to shreds, and both his claws were broken. Blood gushed from a nasty head wound, and he had several lacerations covering his black and white body.

"Blu, run...before he..."

A talon coming from behind grasped his neck and twisted it violently to the left. Blu cringed as a popping sound filled his ears, and the talon released its grip. As Rafael's head drooped lifelessly over the edge of his hollow at a sickening angle, he laid eyes upon Rafael's assailant.

"Carlos?"

None other than one of Rafael's own flesh and blood took the life of his own father. If Carlos was already dangerous when he was a chick, then he would now be extremely deadly, being as he was fully grown. His eyes were pitch black, an exact replica of Frank's from before.

He turned his void gaze towards Blu, and tensed his body, letting loose a screeching noise. Noticing this, Blu turned and took off, the murderous, emotionless toucan in his wake. He quickly glanced around for anything that could help him escape or fend off his attacker.

The only thing he could see that might remotely help him was a rock on the ground. In one swift motion, he glided down to the rock, scooped it up and took to the sky again. When he soared above the treetops and arrived in open air, he turned his whole body around, carefully aiming the rock at the crazed toucan dashing towards him.

"Steady... steady..."

When Carlos was but a few yards away, Blu drew his foot back and hurled the rock towards him. It hit Carlos right on the shoulder, dislocating his wing. Unable to keep aloft, he started to plummet towards the earth. Blu didn't stick around to watch him fumble and probably die from the horrible fall, but instead raced towards the hollow of Nico and Pedro. He hoped that at least they had been spared from either the meteor's influence or any other vicious birds.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Jewel and Maricela arrived at the homes of the Spix's children.<p>

"Vicente! Esperanza! Ricardo!"

One by one, the three macaws popped their heads out of their hollows and flew towards their mother.

"Hi, Mama! How are you?" greeted Esperanza.

"Not good, _meus filhos_. That meteor is bad news for everyone!"

She gestured at the Scarlet Macaw next to her.

"You remember Maricela, one of our good friends. She just lost her mate to that thing. I don't know how, but that meteor drove him crazy. He killed his own newborns and would've killed Maricela as well if your father didn't stop him. And just moments ago, he died a horrible death by literally turning to dust. Long story short, we need to get out of the rainforest, and fast!"

After the three younger blue macaws recovered from their initial stupor, Ricardo responded.

"But, where will we go?"

"I don't know yet. Your father went to collect Nico, Pedro, Rafael and his family. We were to meet back at our place. Let's just go there for now."

Just as they were taking off, a Blue and Gold Macaw that was being chased by an afflicted Military Macaw nearly crashed into Vicente. It had to swerve around him to avoid a collision.

"Get out of the way! No, wait! HELP ME!"

She stumbled in flight, the excessive drag slowing her momentum. Unfortunately, this provided the Military with the opportunity it needed to seize the Blue and Gold. It tackled the female macaw and slammed her down onto a large branch sprouting from a nearby tree.

"NO! NO! GET IT OFF ME, GET IT..."

The Blue and Gold just started screaming as the Military started to tear into her, sending feathers, blood and flesh in all directions. The screaming quickly turned into a death rattle as she was torn apart in mere moments.

"Kids, don't look. Let's just go. Go!"

Esperanza protested, "But Mama, we can't just let her...die like that! We should at least try to..."

Jewel cut her off.

"It's too late for her. We have to get out of here while it's still distracted. Now GO!"

Reluctantly obeying, they flew off to their birthplace.

* * *

><p>In the meantime, Blu arrived at the small hollow that belonged to Nico and Pedro. While flying, he noticed that the diseased birds didn't take to the open air as much, so he didn't need to deal with any during his flight. He carefully peered inside the hollow, half expecting to be attacked by one or both of the little birds, or find them dead.<p>

He exhaled deeply in relief to see that neither was the case. They were both still sleeping, back to back.

_Must've been a late party last night,_ he thought to himself. He walked over, and nudged them both slightly to stir them from their peaceful rest.

"Mommy, I want a piggyback ride..." Pedro muttered in his sleep.

Blu increased his effort by speaking up. "Guys, it's me, Blu. Wake up!"

"Huh? Wha?"

Nico was first to open his eyes, followed by Pedro.

Both looked at Blu in a sense of confusion.

"Mmmm... what's up, blue boy?"

"Death and horror, that's what's up. Guys, Rafael and Eva are dead!"

Both all but fell to the floor, astonished by the news.

"WHAT? You mean... Rafi? Our Rafi, The King of Carnaval Rafi? Gone?" Pedro questioned.

"I'm afraid so, yes. This meteor that crashed in the jungle? I don't know what it does to the wildlife, except that it turns them into cold blooded killers. Carlos, one of Rafael's kids, got exposed too much, and killed his father right before my eyes. He had already killed Eva when I arrived. I had to knock him out, or he would've killed me too."

Still stricken with grief over their best friends' untimely departure, Nico wailed, "So now what? We just sit here until we're all dead!"

"Absolutely not! I've come to get you out. Jewel picked up our kids, and together with a friend of ours, we're going to evacuate from this death pit. Come on, let's go, before another hellbent avian species finds us!"

"Hey, Blu, are you sweating, man? Is something wrong with you?"

_I have to lie to him! I don't know how I could be sweating, but I can't afford to expose myself right now!_

"No Nico, I'm fine! Now let's go, because it's a jungle out there, pardon the pun."

"Man, couldn't you find a better way to start the day..." Pedro muttered under his breath.

* * *

><p>One short but perilous flight later, they all arrived at Blu and Jewel's hollow, where Jewel and the rest were on the ground, anxiously awaiting Blu's return. He hoped, no he <em>demanded<em>, that the others would attribute his sweat to his tumultuous flight.

"There you are! You seem to have worked up quite a sweat problem! Still, I'm glad to see you're safe. But, where's Rafael and Eva? What about their kids?"

"I'm sorry Jewel, but I was too late for Rafael and Eva. They're gone. I don't know what happened to their kids, except for Carlos. He was merciless, just like Frank, and he killed his parents. There was nothing...I could do..."

Everyone gasped in shock hearing about the toucans' demise, except for Maricela, who had no idea who they were talking about. Because she was the only one who maintained her composure, she talked first.

"I don't mean to be rude, but can we decide where to go? I was born here, but I've got no desire to _die_ here!"

The rest of the birds stirred from their stupor.

"You're right," Blu responded. "Well, the only place I can think of right now is... is..."

Blu felt his tongue suddenly grow weary and his temperature begin to rise nonstop. He wasn't able to finish his sentence properly.

"Wi shd hed f faw wwi..."

All the birds turned to him in confusion.

"Blu? What's wrong?" Jewel inquired.

Blu couldn't respond at all anymore, as his tongue just hung from his beak, incapable of moving it further. With that, he felt his claws tremble underneath him, as if his bones were turning to lead. A moment later, he collapsed to the ground, his now sweat-soaked body going limp.

Jewel rushed over to his side. "Blu! Are you okay? Blu!"

Blu then started gasping for air between coughing fits, followed by his feathers matting from the outpouring of sweat. Slowly realizing what was happening, Jewel started to back off in horror.

He was turning...

As Blu was coughing, his pupils grew larger and larger, until his eyes turned into an ocean of black. He staggered to his feet again, gazing upon the crowd of birds gathered before him with an empty look.

Vicente stepped up to him.

"Papa, are you okay? It's me, Vicente. Do you remember me?"

Jewel tried to warn him.

"Vicente, no! Get away from him! That isn't your father anymore!"

"No, Mama. He is my Papa, and always will be. I'm sure I'll be..."

He was cut off by a stab of pain. Turning to his father, he noticed blood on Blu's claw, which he just used to slash at his son's chest. Vicente looked down to spot a large gash running across his chest, his once aquamarine feathers now stained with scarlet.

"AAARGH! NO, GET AWAY!"

Vicente tried to scurry away from Blu before he could lash out again. Coming to his aid were Esperanza and Ricardo, tackling their father to the ground. Before he could get up, Maricela had grabbed a large stick from the ground and raised it above Blu's head.

She brought it down on his skull with enough force to snap it in two, and she had effectively knocked him out. Nico couldn't grasp what was happening. The very thing that Blu came to warn Pedro and him about just played out before his own eyes.

"He was going to kill his own son..."

"And he was going to kill us all if I didn't stop him! Now, are we finally getting the HELL OUT OF HERE!" Maricela demanded.

"Well, what are we going to do with _him_, Jewel?"

"I think we should try and carry him to the aviary, Pedro. He'll end up like...Frank if we don't. Tulio has to be able to do _something_!"

"We'll carry him, Mama..." declared Ricardo.

"Fine," sighed Jewel. "Just be careful!"

"Wait, you guys! Tie him up first!"

Jewel's children froze and stared at Maricela, growing more and more frustrated by her repeated outbursts.

They faced each other after a few seconds, and Vicente said, "She's right. Let's get some vines..."

After gathering a few lengths of vine, Esperanza offered to festoon her father with them. As she drew close to him, she sensed that the air was growing noticeably warm. Thinking nothing of it, she laid her talon on his chest, only to jerk it away.

"Mama, something is wrong with Papa!"

"What is it?" She rushed over to her mate, relieved to notice he was still breathing, but she soon felt what her daughter had moments ago.

"Touch him, and you'll find out..."

She laid her foot on his head, only to pull it back out of shock and fear.

"It's like he has a fever! And his feathers! They're wet!"

"What do we do now?"

Shaking her head, Jewel replied, "I don't know, Vicente. I just don't know..."

"There's no other choice but to leave him here, Jewel..." muttered Maricela, resting her wing on Jewel's back.

"Is anything else going to go to hell today?"

"I don't know, Jewel, but we can't leave him out in the open. We can hide him...under that tree over there."

Before anything, she leaned in to his ear. "I love you. Please, hold on..."

She gave him a quick peck on the beak, and then she watched as Maricela carefully dragged him over to said tree, reclining him peacefully against the trunk.

After the Scarlet Macaw rejoined the group, Jewel stiffened her resolve and took command.

"Alright, let's head out. The only place I know that might be safe enough is Tulio's aviary. If we can manage to convey to them what happened, they might be able to help. Let's go!"

With that, all the birds took off towards the heart of the Blu Bird Sanctuary, leaving an unconscious yet frenzied Blu behind.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Meus filhos.=My children.**

* * *

><p><strong>Just for the record, both Count Doofus and I know that birds can't sweat. Still, the story would have less impact without that symptom, so that's why it is included in the chapter. <strong>


	4. The Storm Rages

**Chapter 4:The Storm Rages**

Tulio was working at his station as always, taking notes of the recovery progress of the birds he tended to. But, as he worked, he noticed there was something missing. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, until he looked at the singing parakeet in the cage next to him.

In the previous days, he would always get distracted from the birds in the jungle chanting their songs. Now, he was getting distracted by the lack thereof. All he heard now was silence, only to be broken by sudden loud screeches that stopped shortly after they started.

Finally, his curiosity got the better of him. He got up, walked to the window, and looked outside. There were far less birds to see than usual. He wanted to make his way to the observation tower to have a look at the jungle from there, but that's when he saw two green entities coming straight towards the building. Towards _him_.

There were two Military Macaws. One seemed to be chasing the other in a maddened frenzy.

"What the..."

Before he could ponder about it further, the chaser caught up with its target and grabbed it mid-flight, resulting in the two of them crashing through the window. Tulio had to duck to avoid getting injured by the shattered glass. The two macaws landed on the floor of the treatment room, hundreds of glass shards trickling around them in all directions, slicing their bodies in dozens of places.

The sound of breaking glass immediately caught the attention of everyone in the room and those close enough to hear it. Groaning in pain, the male victim looked up at his assaulter.

"Yarah, please, listen to me! It's me, Xavier, your husband! Don't you remember me? Please, you've got to..."

His pleas for mercy were literally _cut_ short as Yarah swung her beak down in a swooping motion across his throat, easily slashing through the feathers and skin. Blood gushed out like a macabre fountain, most of it showering on Yarah, who seemed to revel in her actions.

Horrified, Tulio quickly grabbed the tranquillizer gun that was mounted on the wall, to be used in case of an emergency. As Xavier was gasping for air and struggled to stay alive, Tulio carefully aimed at Yarah, who was getting ready to strike again.

Just before she was able to, Tulio fired. The dart hit her in the side of her neck, instantly injecting the sedative into her system and knocking her off her dying mate. She staggered around for a few seconds before collapsing onto the blood-speckled floor, her eyes shut tight and her chest pumping slowly.

The immediate danger neutralized, Tulio and his staff turned their attention to Xavier, who was still breathing, yet barely clinging on to his very life. They tried to cover his wounds with their hands and whatever means of bandaging they could reach, but unfortunately, Xavier's internal organs were devoid of oxygen for too long.

Before the humans realized it, the last shreds of life escaped from Xavier before they could stabilize him any further. Tulio felt him go limp in his grasp, and he let out a short sigh, accompanied by a silent prayer for the battered, once magnificent bird. Not able to help Xavier any further, Tulio then focused on his mate.

While some people started cleaning up the shattered glass and took Xavier's remains away, Tulio took the sedated macaw and some of his senior staff members to the lab, where they had a closer look at her. After washing the blood off and setting her down on the operating table, he examined her closely before speaking up.

"From what I can tell so far, this female has been driven mad by _something_. First off, take a look at her beak."

The rest of the team leaned in closely.

"Albeit minimal, she has foam coming out from the sides of her beak, similar to animals infected with rabies. Also, when I carried her in here, her body temperature was far higher than it should be, and it still is. Before I washed her off, her feathers were dank, as if she'd been sweating extensively. Let's see if her eyes can tell me more."

He turned her head sideways and grabbed a small flashlight. After prying one of her eyelids open, he startled, dropped the flashlight, and retracted his hand immediately.

"Whoa! Did you see that?"

He opened Yarah's eyelid again, only to be greeted by an endless void.

"Look! The pupil has dilated to extreme proportions. It seems to be covering the ocular surface!"

Eduardo, one of the team members, turned to him.

"What could possibly cause all this?"

"I don't know for sure, but I've got a hunch that the meteor has something to do with it. We've never seen this happen to any jungle species before, and with that meteor around, it's just the only logical course of thought right now. I'm going to organize an expedition to find out more about it. Who's with me?"

After closing his backpack filled with instruments and supplies to be used in the field, Tulio lifted it onto his back, giving a glare of disappointment to his "team." They were observing him getting ready for his one-man expedition, and apparently, none of them were willing to join him for a trek into the jungle.

After seeing the effects that were supposedly instigated by the meteor, everyone preferred to keep their throats in one piece, and stay as far away from it altogether. To some extent, Tulio couldn't blame them. And to be honest, he wasn't all that keen on heading out there, least of all by himself.

Be that as it may, _someone_ would have to go and find out what's going on. Just as he was about to step out the front door, Linda walked in with Fernando, having just returned from their outing at one of the city parks. Not knowing her husband was right behind the door, she smacked it right into his face, causing him to stagger backwards while covering his nose with his hands.

"Ow! _Meu nariz_!"

"Oh dear!" gasped Linda.

"Are you alright?"

"I guess. _Meu nariz está sangrando..._"

Tulio said while holding a patch of gauze to his nose. Linda noticed the bulging bag strapped to his back.

"What are you going to do with all that stuff? Where are you going?"

"I was just heading out to do some surveillance on the meteor. I think it's driving the wildlife crazy, and I need to find out for myself. And since there were no volunteers to join me, it'll be by myself."

"Like heck you are," Linda argued. "You are not heading in that jungle out there all alone. If nobody's coming with you, then I will."

Thinking of what happened just a few minutes ago between Xavier and Yarah, he wanted her to reconsider. And the best way to do that was to show her what happened.

"Come with me. I have to show you something..."

He took her to the lab, stopping at the pristine window and gesturing at the Military Macaw inside. _At least,_ Linda thought, _it's a Military Macaw..._

The bird was wrapped with bandages, had tubes and IVs puncturing her many places, and was attached to several chirping monitoring devices. Not only that, she was restrained like a lunatic in an asylum. Tulio gestured at one of the ornithologists inside to open her eye.

Linda gasped at what she saw.

"Oh, my! What happened to that poor bird?"

"You see, a few minutes earlier..." Tulio spent a short amount of time recapping the events that went down before Linda got home. She maintained a shocked expression all the way through it. "... and that is why I have to get to that meteor."

"So, you plan to head into the jungle all by yourself, filled with birds that attack on sight? Now you're definitely not going alone!"

"Linda, I know you're concerned, but please..."

She interrupted his speech, as her thoughts jolted to that one special bird she spent most of her life with. "Blu! Blu is in danger!"

"I know Linda, but-"

She was too worried and anxious to let him finish.

"And what will we do if something happens to Jewel? No matter what you say, I'm going with you. Pack me a bag right this instant!"

Knowing there was no point in arguing-especially now-Tulio reluctantly agreed.

"Can I come too?" Fernando asked.

"Absolutely not. Someone has to look after Vanessa, and you're her big brother."

"Aww!" Fernando protested, but he knew his adoptive parents were right, and there was no point in arguing with them.

Tulio prepared a backpack for Linda. With Linda helping her husband pack her bag, it didn't take them very long. He slung it over her back, and after they both gave Fernando a parting hug, they tromped out of the rear of the aviary and made their way towards the jungle of horrors.

* * *

><p>Just as the humans were out of sight of the sanctuary building, a group of seven birds appeared in the sky, the same building being their destination. They flew there to seek refuge from the meteor that somehow drove the fauna of the rainforest into undergoing merciless killing frenzies.<p>

Vicente clutched his chest because of the injury his father delivered to him. It wasn't too deep; just enough to make him bleed, but not deep enough to be life-threatening. Still, the cut caused him to lag behind, so the rest of the group had to fly slower so he could keep up.

They noticed that something was amiss on the right side of the structure as they drifted in. What used to be a large window was now anything but. All along the perimeter were fractured, jagged spikes of glass, and the birds were careful to avoid them, silently wondering what had caused such destruction.

The makeshift entrance gave out into the treatment room of the aviary, and the group of winged refugees alighted on one of the linoleum counters. They looked around for any sign of Tulio or Linda, but much to their dismay, found neither. Another staff member noticed them instead. It was Vavara, one of Tulio's senior staff members that had been looking over Yarah earlier.

"Jewel! I see you brought your children. It looks like you brought some friends too," she exclaimed, sighting Maricela, Nico and Pedro.

She noticed the laceration on Vicente's chest and shouted, "Oh my! Did you know that one of your children is injured, Jewel? Can I have a look at him?"

Jewel stared at her son and squawked softly. Taking the hint, Vicente trotted across the counter and stopped in front of the human. She bent down and extracted a roll of gauze from a drawer. After standing back up, she held Vicente still while wrapping the gauze around his chest and under his right wing. She pulled out a small metal clip from another drawer and secured the fabric, which now bore a small spot of blood.

As she finished, the injured macaw chirped happily, nuzzling his head against Vavara's hand.

"Oh! Well, you are welcome. It is my job, after all..."

After the macaw departed and walked back across the counter to the others, she noticed that someone important was missing.

"Hey, where's Blu?"

All of the birds just lowered their heads in defeat, obviously signaling to her that Blu couldn't join them, for one reason or another.

"Oh no...you don't mean...he's dead?"

As if they had all united into one conglomerate being, they lifted their heads, squawked, and waved their wings around wildly.

"Okay, okay, so he's not dead. But he's got to be in trouble at least, then..."

Her thoughts wandered back to Yarah, the Military Macaw that literally dropped in earlier. Lost in thought, she left the birds and headed towards the window, looking into the lab with a distraught expression. Gazing at Yarah, she clasped her arms around herself and muttered: "What is going out there? Do I even want to know? Most importantly, can we fight it?"

Vavara's sudden, strange behavior piqued the interest of the birds. Jewel flew over to her and landed on her left shoulder, joining her in peering through the window.

"_Meu Deus_! Yarah?"

The rest of the birds joined them, Maricela perching on Vavara's other shoulder, leaving the rest to land on the window sill. She was barely recognizable underneath all of the tubes and bandages that adorned her still form. They did, however, recognize that she was simply one more victim of the new, strange illness that had taken hold of Blu, Frank, and all of the other birds they had encountered before.

"I know, guys," Vavara said to them. "I know. I hope Tulio and Linda are safe out there..."

Hearing this, Jewel flew down to the rest of the group and alighted between Nico and Pedro.

"Hear that? Sounds like we just missed them."

"Should we go back and try to find them?" Nico asked.

"In the jungle? No way! I am not heading back out there."

She figured since the humans are in general larger and tougher than any bird, they'd fare better against frenzied ones with the two of them.

"As much as I hate to say it, there's nothing we can do right now but wait for them to return..."

_And I hope they find Blu before death finds HIM..._

* * *

><p>Tulio and Linda were barely out in the jungle for no more than five minutes before they heard a loud screech. Turning their sights towards the direction from where it came, they saw a Festive Amazon heading their way, talons curled, targeting Tulio.<p>

He ducked to avoid his face getting mangled by the Amazon, catching a glimpse of its jet-black eyes, matching the hue of the Military Macaw that now lay subdued in his aviary. The Amazon banked left and renewed its assault, this time in the direction of Linda.

She, too, ducked, and felt the Amazon breeze past her head, missing it by mere inches. Frustrated but relentless, it banked again, heading in for a another attack. This time though, Tulio had thought of the appropriate measure to negate the attack.

He grabbed the frying pan hanging from the side of his backpack-who knew how long they would be out here-and primed himself to take a swing at the Amazon.

"_Perdoa-me_..." he whispered, and swung the pan at the bird, hitting it with a loud *TWONG*.

The impact caused the bird to soar several yards limply through the air, ultimately crashing against a tree trunk. It slid down the rough bark and landed on the ground with a soft *thud* behind some bushes.

"Did that Military Macaw try that on you too?" Linda asked, squatted on the ground, still shaking from the assault.

"No, it didn't. I tranquillized it before it had any chance to. But I think we can safely say now these birds will attack anything in sight."

He grabbed Linda by the arm and gently pulled her up.

"Come on. Our situation just got a whole lot more dangerous, so grab whatever you have that is sturdy enough to serve as a weapon. Who knows how many more deranged avian creatures we'll run into..."

As they were making their way deeper into the jungle, they suddenly heard strange noises ahead of them, and they stopped dead in their tracks.

"Linda, listen. Do you hear that?"

"Yes, but what is it?"

"I don't know. Let's check it out, but carefully."

The closer they inched to the sounds coming from somewhere in front of them, the more it sounded like an animal choking, coughing, suffocating. Tulio peered around the trunk of a tree, laying eyes on a Red-and-green Macaw on the ground.

It was rocking back and forth from left to right, claws flailing in the air, as if it was being choked by an invisible snake, futilely trying to fight it off. Tulio rushed over to the bird, quickly followed by Linda. He knelt down next to the macaw, removed his backpack, and from it pulled a strap with which to restrain it, so he could have a closer and calmer look.

He picked up the bird, but dropped it again immediately, shaking his hands and blowing on them.

"What's the matter?"

"That bird is extremely hot to the touch! I almost burned my hands on it. The Military in the aviary was hot, but this one is scalding! How is that even possible?"

Tulio suddenly felt his leg getting warmer in some spots. Looking down, he discovered several red dots on his trousers. The macaw had been coughing up blood, and the drops felt just as hot as the bird itself. Small puffs of steam rose from the dots, visibly singing the fabric.

"Ouch! Back away, back away! It burns!"

Pushing Linda a few feet backwards, they both kept their gazes locked on the macaw, who was now writhing in agony. What happened next shocked them more than anything. The macaw started to give off steam, and a spot of gray appeared on its belly.

At first, it was the size of a dot, but quickly began to spread to the rest of its body. As it spread, the feathers, skin, flesh and eventually the organs underneath all started to decompose at an alarming rate. They could only describe the event as though the macaw was being consumed by a fire without flames.

The bones, though charred, remained intact. That was all that was left of the macaw in a matter of moments: a blackened skeleton surrounded by a pool of soft ash, some of it scattering in the breeze. Tulio and Linda needed a few minutes to compose themselves again.

Never before in their life had they witnessed something so awful, so dreadful, so... horrifying, not even in books or on TV. Linda snapped out of her astonishment after Tulio, who scrambled to his feet and helped her do the same.

"Now we definitely need to reach that meteor as fast as we can. I just hope there's something we can do!"

At a steady pace, they headed deeper into the jungle, coming across more ash patches or dying birds on the way. They also had to deal with diseased birds more often than they'd like, since Tulio devoted his life saving them, instead of knocking them around.

Yet it was a necessary, evil thing to do if they wanted to go back home unscathed. Eventually, they came upon the area where the meteor had landed. Although the meteor itself wasn't in sight yet, the direct effect it had on the surrounding flora was.

Once again, Tulio and Linda looked around astounded. Before them, the whole area was dead, barren, charred and withered. Plants were crumpled up to tiny heaps of dead matter, and the blackened trees that were still standing were without leaves.

Their feet caused the withered growth below them to fully disintegrate, leaving puffs of ash in their wake. Tulio reached out to touch a tree, but his fingers just slipped through the bark as if it was syrupy liquid. His action caused what was left of the tree to topple and come careening down, showering both of them with ash and dust.

Weaving through the forest of dead, black, naked trees, occasionally knocking one over, they came up to a crater. The gouge in the earth was surrounded by caution tape, and both humans realized that they had been with the police who had set it up.

The meteor sat in the middle of the crater, continuing to spread its foulness around in all directions. The caution tape proved to be more of a barrier to humans than it was to the black aura that emanated from the space debris. The core of the hulking stone slowly pulsed with a red glow, almost like the heartbeat of a living being.

A soft humming sound emanated from it, growing in intensity the closer the humans came. Yet, the closer they got, the more they felt something was wrong. It felt as if invisible hands engulfed Tulio and Linda, making them feverish, queasy, and nauseous all at the same time.

They quickly backed away and contemplated possible solutions.

"I must get a hold of a piece of that thing! If I can study it or hand it over to a professional, maybe we can find a cure to reverse whatever that thing is doing."

"But we can't get near it. We both felt it, Tulio. We get sick just by getting close to it. How do you expect we'll get close enough to get a piece?"

Tulio thought for a moment. He then put his backpack on the ground again, and rummaged around inside. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled out a pickax and a strand of rope, which served as part two of the plan.

"We won't be getting close...I will."

"You...what?"

"Here's what we'll do. I'll tie this rope around my waist, and head to the meteor. I'll try to be as fast as possible in retrieving a chunk, and come back here. You're my failsafe in the event something happens to me. Pull me back to you, and get me out of here as fast as you can. Can you do that?"

"But, Tulio... why you? Can't we get help, let somebody else do it? You're an ornithologist, not an astronomer!"

"I know, Linda, I know. But we can't just sit here and wait for help. There's simply no time! That thing is killing the wildlife of the rainforest, and the rainforest too, no less! If we can get a piece of it to the authorities beforehand, we'll be much closer to a solution before long. It's just the right thing to do."

Linda's eyes started to well up.

"Okay. I'll do it. But as soon as I even think you might be in trouble, I'm pulling you back. No need for unnecessary heroism, you hear me?"

Tulio wrapped him arms around Linda, and rested his cheek on top of her head. She hugged him back.

"I understand, Linda. I wouldn't expect you to do otherwise. But we have to at least try this. If we fail, who knows what other damage this meteor will cause before anyone does something."

After releasing Linda, he tied the rope around his waist and held the pickax firmly in both hands. Looking at the meteor, he prepared himself to run towards it.

"Alright Linda, this is it. I'll run to it, get a piece as fast as possible, and get back. Just be ready to pull in case something happens. You ready?"

Wiping the moisture from her eyes, she grabbed the end of the rope firmly.

"Ready!"

"Okay, on my mark. Three, two, one...now!"

Tulio dashed forward as fast as his feet would allow him in the soft, dead earth. He felt the invisible, sickening hands flow over him again, which only intensified the closer he came, yet tried to ignore them for as long as possible. Coming within a few paces of the gently rippling plastic, he lifted the pickaxe and swung it downward at the meteor with all the power he could muster.

He let out a bestial roar as the sharp point struck the meteor on the crown. It was just enough for a shard about twice the size of his fist to dislodge, landing just next to his foot. He bent over to pick it up, but that's when the sickening effect of the meteor in front of him started to gain territory over his consciousness.

Barely managing to put the shard into his pocket, he collapsed on the ground. Gasping at Tulio's predicament, Linda started to pull on the rope with all her might. Slowly but steady, his limp form was dragged back in her direction. When he was with her again, panting from the effort, she knelt down next to his unconscious form, checking for any signs of life.

Great was her relief when she discovered a steady heartbeat and equal breathing pattern. He was just knocked out cold. Linda started to shake him gently.

"Tulio? Can you hear me? Please, wake up..."

Her ears picked up a soft, soothing hum. Glancing down at the shard that was jutting out of Tulio's pocket, she noticed it was pulsing on its own, giving off a smooth golden glow. The glow expanded to cover the whole of Tulio's body, intensifying as it did so.

Linda had to shield her eyes as the glow became a blinding light. Just as sudden as it had appeared, the light subsided and the hum faded away, turning the shard into a useless lump of rock. Tulio coughed as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Tulio! Are you okay?"

"Y-yes, I think so..."

Despite being unconscious just a second ago, he effortlessly got to his feet.

"In fact, I feel great! I've never felt so good in my life! It's as if... if...my body has been purified, in a way. I can't explain it, but I feel I can take on the world!"

"Tulio, look!"

He looked down to the ground where he just laid, which was where Linda was pointing. There was a patch of healthy grass in the shape of Tulio's body. Sadly, it began to wither again, due to its vicinity to the meteor. It didn't stop their enthusiasm though.

"It must've been that shard you collected! It somehow healed you, and the land around you, back to pristine condition!" "Yes, you're right! Nothing else can explain..."

He grabbed the shard from his pocket, but was sad to see it had already lost properties.

"The effect wears off quickly, though. I wonder, if I got another shard and brought it to the aviary, will it heal that Military Macaw as well?"

"Wait, you want to go back in there? I don't think so! And besides, if you get another shard and you pass out again, that shard will heal you once more and you'll still have nothing. No, I agree that we need another shard, but this isn't the way to do it."

"Hmmm, you're right. But how then?"

"We'll figure that out later. But we should check on Blu and Jewel now. That meteor is still a threat, and I'll never forgive myself if I let something happen to my dear Blu..."

The cannonball tree that provided Blu and Jewel with their hollow wasn't all that far from the impact site. Even though the meteor's environmental decay hadn't reached that far, it was still expanding, and wouldn't take all that long to overtake the clearing.

Their trek through the undergrowth towards Blu's residence had instilled seeds of discomfort inside Linda, and they had sprouted into full grown harbingers of anxiety by the time they had entered the all-too-familiar clearing. Her gaze was initially fixed on the hollow, and she was just about to call out to the Spix's Macaws that occupied it.

Her husband noticed a heap of blue feathers on the ground before she could do so.

"Linda, _olha_!"

Tulio shouted as he pointed towards it. Linda followed Tulio's finger and quickly spotted Blu, who was slumped against the trunk of a small tree.

"Blu! _Não você também_! Please be alright!"

She rushed over to him and slid across the ground on her knees, stopping herself right in front of him. She was extremely relieved to see he was still breathing. She wanted to pick him up, but retracted her hands when she felt the heat emanating from him.

"Tulio...he's so hot..."

He knelt down next to Linda and reached out to Blu's right eyelid. He carefully opened it, and his unspoken fear phased into reality. Blu's eye was as black as coal. Linda burst into tears. She was all but sure Blu was done for.

"Linda, please don't cry. I know things look bad for Blu, but if we can get him to the aviary, I can treat him until we find a safe way to get more shards."

Remembering the Red-and-Green Macaw from earlier, Tulio wasn't sure he could keep this promise, but he had to try at least. Linda gave him a hesitant smile, unsure if even her ornithologist husband could save her beloved macaw. Either way, she had to trust him, so she gave him his hand to hold.

"Come on, Linda. Put on some gloves, so you can safely carry him back to the aviary. I'll take point and deal with any birds that might attack us..."

Fortunately for them, the trip back was mostly uneventful. They ran into a few dead, dying, and crazed birds on the way. The dead ones had either succumbed to meteor exposure, or had been killed by the infected individuals. The infected who were still living were too occupied with chasing and/or killing other targets.

Some of them did come after the humans, at which point Tulio resorted to fending them off with makeshift weapons, since Linda was carrying the unconscious Blu. The sloped roof of the aviary soon peaked above the trees, and they quickened their pace.

Walking back into the building, they tossed their backpacks aside and rushed towards the lab, where Yarah and Blu were being kept. Turning around a corner that led into a hallway where the lab was, both of them noticed the band of seven birds sitting on the windowsill, looking into the lab, eyes fixated on the progress of the Military Macaw's recovery, if one could call it that.

Jewel was the only one to hear their footsteps, and she turned her head in the direction of the humans, who appeared to be in a hurry. Cradled in Linda's gloved hands was a very familiar bird.

"Oh god! Blu!"

Her exclamation caused all the other birds turn their heads. They swiveled them first in the direction of Jewel, then immediately to the two humans in the background. Some of them were relieved Blu was found, and could now be given a fighting chance at survival.

Others, like Nico and Pedro, flinched, worried that he'd wake up and start attacking everyone in the room, if given the chance. They regained their composure after seeing he was still out cold. _I hope I didn't hit him too hard_...Maricela wondered.

Jewel flew up towards Linda, but Tulio walked in front of her, keeping the macaw away from her husband.

"No, Jewel, don't! Blu is deathly ill and needs treatment right away. I know you're worried about him, but there's nothing you can do right now. Please, let us do what we need to..."

Jewel knew his words rang true, but that didn't stop the feeling of wanting to be close to him, especially now. Defeated, she turned around and landed back on the sill. She kept her eyes locked on her ailing mate as Tulio carried him inside and strapped him to the bed like Yarah was, should he wake up and still be violent.

Tulio dragged three different monitoring devices over to the bedside and powered them up. He then hooked Blu up to more tubes, IVs, and sensors than a very important human being would have been. After all, until recently, Blu was the last remaining male Spix's Macaw left on the entire planet.

Even though one more generation had been added, his kind was still teetering on the edge of extinction. As the dusk was settling upon the wilds of the jungle, Linda reclined lazily in the couch she had rooted between Yarah and Blu's bed, vowing to never leave his side.

Tulio brought some food to her, and even though eating wasn't on her mind, she wouldn't be doing anyone any good by starving herself.. After tucking Vanessa into bed and whispering good night to their adopted son, Tulio had let the refugee birds into the monitoring room where Blu and Jewel first met.

Their day had been undoubtedly hectic, and they needed a place to rest and recover. He went to bed himself not long after that. Among the birds, Vicente had been the first to fall asleep, because of the medication he was forced to gulp down to help his wound heal.

The rest of the birds soon followed, exhausted from the day-long trauma. Jewel, however, was utterly torn in two over Blu's well-being. He still had a promise to fulfill, after all.

_Why did this meteor have to land in Rio, of all places? What's wrong with a desert, or the ocean! No, it just had to end up right on our damn doorstep!_ she screamed.

Not able to contain herself anymore, she lifted off and glided towards the hatch in the wall. It was left open, so that said visitors could come in and get out as they pleased. She headed straight to the windowsill from before, and sighed as she landed and peered inside.

A single stark light bulb illuminated the room, mounted on the wall directly above Linda. Her head hung forward from drowsiness. Her mouth was slightly moving, which made Jewel assume she was talking in her sleep, too silent and far away from her to comprehend the words.

"Oh Blu_, por que não posso estar lá com você? Não é justo..._"

Jewel wanted to stay up all night to make sure her mate was okay, but tiredness eventually shrouded her, resulting in her falling asleep on the spot, head tucked between the shoulders...

* * *

><p>Linda was running around happily in her garden, which was blooming in a sweet pink color bestowed upon it from the setting springtime sun.<p>

Flying after her was Blu, squawking in joy as he tried to tag his human friend. Linda tripped on a bush and landed on a large pile of blossoms, freshly shed from a cherry tree. Rolling on her back, she laughed and slid her arms and legs across the ground, crafting an angelic outline in the blossoms.

Blu gently landed on her belly, snuggling up to her as he kept squawking in laughter. Linda began to notice his laughing started to sound more and more like a human laugh. She realized it was not a happy laugh, but a laugh dredged from the depths of hell.

She stopped laughing herself, and quickly became more fearful with each passing second.

"Blu?"

He just kept laughing, and all of a sudden, a harsh wind picked up. A wind that was strangely enough only affecting Blu. He dug his claws deep into Linda's skin through her shirt, red circles appearing around them.

The wind was blowing so strong, it caused Blu's sapphire feathers to uproot and hurtle away. No, not just his feathers...his _skin_ and organs seemed to be ripped away by the howling blast of air. Linda stared in horror at what was happening in front of her.

All that was now left of Blu, still clamped down on top of her, was his bloody skeleton. Two black voids, where his eyes used to be, bored into her own. Somehow, he lived, and the worst of all, he was still laughing like a barghest.

"Hey, Linda! Remember THIS!" he yelled, after which he began mimicking the sound of an alarm clock, like he did every so often back in Minnesota. Instead of touching his beak to "turn him off," Linda tried to swat him away with her hands and end the horrifying display.

"No, no, NO!"

Linda jolted awake, sweating and panting like never before. She awoke and gazed around, finding herself back in the lab, in the exact same spot from the previous night. Sunlight slowly crept its way through the windows, casting slanted shadows across the counters and floor.

She looked over to Blu, and was relieved to see he was still his same old self, albeit still afflicted with the illness bestowed upon him by that infernal meteor. She suddenly noticed the beeping sound of an alarm clock, reminding her of her dream and causing her to shudder.

She soon discovered that it wasn't an alarm clock. It was one of the monitoring devices that was hooked up to Yarah. Reading the display as best as she could, it indicated her body temperature with an _ERR._ Not knowing what to do, she stormed out the lab, slamming the door behind her and tromped to her bedroom.

The loud noise of a slamming door jerked Jewel out of her sleep, causing her to jerk her head around and strike it against the glass.

"Ow! Oh...what's happening?"

She saw Linda running away, shouting for her husband. Quizzed, she looked into the lab, and the convulsing body of a Military Macaw met her gaze. She put her wings against the glass, watching in horror as she started to dissolve the same way Frank had.

Small drops of coughed-up blood were scattered on the bed, the floor, and even a bit the walls, the heat leaving tiny singed spots behind as the blood dried up. Yarah proceeded to belch out steam from her body, burning away in the same manner of so many other birds. By the time Tulio arrived, still wearing his pajamas with a lab coat over them, it was already too late.

Still, it was highly doubtful he would've able to do anything even if he'd been on time. Yarah's skeleton was already showing through when he entered. Fighting back tears, he put his right hand across his mouth and supported his right elbow with his left hand. When she finally stopped stirring, leaving only smoking bones behind, he stammered as he spoke.

"This h-has got to e-end, _right now_. If this keeps up, there won't be a single bird left in the entire jungle! I'm calling the police, the army, the government, _anyone_ to deal with that demonic meteor, if it's the last thing I'll ever do!"

Tulio strode out from the lab, brushing right past a stunned Linda, and right towards the phone He began calling around to any officials willing to hear his story.

Ignoring the charred remains of Yarah, Linda made her way back to Blu, sat down next to him, and gently started stroking his head. Jewel, who managed to fly in because the door was left open, landed on the other side of Blu. She laid down next to him and put her head and left wing on top of his chest.

"Hey, Jewel. I feel your fear, your pain, your hopelessness. We'll just have to pray that he makes it through..."

Both female creatures wanted so desperately for him to wake up safe and sound, wishing that this nightmare had never began.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Meu nariz!=My nose!**

**Meu nariz está sangrando...=My nose is bleeding...**

**Meu Deus!=My God!**

**Perdoa-me...=Forgive me...**

**Olha!=Look!**

**Não você também!=Not you too!**

**Por que não posso estar lá com você? Não é justo...Why can't I be in there with you? It's not fair...**


	5. Zero Hour

**Chapter 5:Zero Hour**

Tulio first dialed the number to the main police station, hoping he could make some progress with them. After three rings, the dispatcher picked up, and although it was male, it wasn't who Tulio needed to talk to.

"_Qual é a sua emergência?_"

"_Eu preciso falar com Lopez ou Sandoval! Eu não posso explicar agora, mas tem a ver com o meteoro!_"

"_Sim senhor, agora mesmo! Qual é seu nome?_"

"_Tulio._"

"_Por favor, segure por apenas um minuto, Tulio..._"

A soft clicking noise could be heard, and Tulio attributed it to the phone being set down. He heard muffled shouts from the dispatcher, but they were unintelligible on his end. After two minutes of waiting, the clicking sound returned, and a now-familiar voice spoke to him.

"Tulio? This is officer Lopez. I was actually just about to call you, but my wife called me first. I don't know how many times I've told her to not call me while I'm at work! Anyways, what have you found out?"

"This may be hard to believe, but you have to trust me! That meteor is killing the jungle! The plants are rotting away, and the animals are going mad! I've already encountered a few that were affected, and they all possessed rabies-like symptoms. One of those rare macaws I told you about is sick, and I don't know how long he'll last. It's hell out here, Lopez!"

After a tense silence, Lopez collected himself and replied, "_Meu Deus!_ That is terrible news! Is there anything I can do? Should I jump in my patrol car and come over?"

"No! There is something that we can do, because I have found a cure for the disease!"

"You have! What is it?"

"I decided to go back and visit the meteor the day before, and I managed to harvest a sample. That cursed rock knocked me out somehow, but the shard I chipped from it did something amazing! I had put it into my pocket, and after my wife dragged me back to safety, it began to glow. After just a few seconds, I was awake and alert. In fact, I felt almost superhuman!"

"So, what are you trying to tell me?"

"I realized that the meteor, as a whole, is incredibly deadly, but any pieces that are separated from it have incredible healing powers!"

"How's that for irony? Well, what should we do? How are we going to save the jungle?"

"We need to blow that meteor into as many shards as possible. Is there any way you can contact the Brazilian Military?"

"That is quite a request, Tulio! I'll need to talk with my Police Chief, and then he'll have to talk with the Mayor, who'll have to call-"

"No! We don't have the time, Lopez! Not only is the entire jungle in danger, the last male Spix's Macaw is as well! I can't afford to lose him. This planet can't afford to lose him. You have to try!"

Tulio heard a discontented sigh from the other end, and a few seconds of silence persisted afterwards.

"I could lose my job over this. It wouldn't be near as much trouble if we could somehow _prove_ it to the Military! Mere words won't accomplish much, Tulio, and I think you know that..."

"I know, I know! I'll try to think of something, and it would be wise for you to do the same."

"Okay, Tulio, but it will take some time. It could take a few hours or a few days. As soon as I make any progress, I'll call you."

"Thank you for your time, Lopez. I'll be waiting..."

A loud *thump* was heard, and the line went dead. He replaced the phone back in its mount and ran his hands through his hair.

Linda and Jewel had been watching his silent conversation through the lab window, and he seemed utterly displeased with the outcome. Jewel perched on Linda's shoulder, and the two creatures made their way out of the lab. Linda gently closed the steel door, and the sound alerted him to their presence.

"What's the matter, Tulio? Any luck?"

"Not really, Linda. I was talking to Officer Lopez, and he said he'll do his best to get in touch with the military, The thing is, it could turn out very bad for him. If only there was a way for me to prove that what is happening here isn't just a web of lies! Without that, they'll just think I'm trying to pull some big publicity stunt!"

Linda frowned and drew herself up to her husband's side.

"No one said it was going to be easy. Still, we have to think! Those shards are worth their weight in gold, and we have to get them somehow! The stability of the sanctuary depends on it, not to mention the life of Blu..."

She twisted her head around and gazed through the window of the lab, with Jewel imitating her. Blu's sedated form lay motionless on the bed, just as Tulio had left him the previous day. Next to him,Yarah's fried remains still stained the bed, and the polka-dot design created by her blood had not yet been erased from the walls.

"We'll just have to put our faith in Officer Lopez. The only other solution is divine intervention..."

The two humans and the macaw consigned themselves to the living-room couch, and their brainstorming proved futile.

The rest of the avian party that had arrived with Jewel was still sleeping in the enclosure, and she thought that they were better off that way.

_They need to rest and recover. Seeing my mate on the brink of death, coupled with their inability to help him, must be tearing them up inside. Please let whoever Tulio was talking to get the job done. If Blu...dies, I will die with him..._

The hours slowly dragged on, and the gray phone clinging to the wall did not ring once. To the two humans, it became not an object of salvation, but an object of mockery. It sat there, silent and motionless, as if it refused to convey the news they so desperately needed, courtesy of the police officer.

However, as the hour hand of the watch on Tulio's wrist inched past the tiny number four, the silence and despair in the aviary was shattered by a steady ringing sound. Linda and her husband awoke, nearly falling off of the couch in the process.

Jewel squawked in alarm and rose into the air as Linda jerked beneath her. Settling herself down on the edge of the soft leather couch, she noticed Linda dashing over to the phone. She ripped it from the mount and plastered it to her ear. Tulio stood next to her and listened intently to his wife's words, in an attempt to decipher what was being said on the other end.

"Hello, Lopez, this is Linda! We've been waiting so long to hear back from you! You brought news? What sort of-"

"What's going on, honey?"

She merely flailed her hand in response to his interruption, meaning for him to stay quiet.

"Is it good or bad? Okay. What? Wait, you can't be serious! So, there is hope after all? Oh, thank you so much! We'll be waiting for your arrival!"

She hastily placed the phone back in the mount, and without a word, squeezed her husband in a tight hug.

After withdrawing after a few seconds, Tulio asked, "Well, you seem happy! What did he tell you?"

"It turns out that some scientists got word about the meteor strike, and they are incredibly eager to investigate it! Once they see what a tragedy it caused, and how the jungle can be saved, they'll convince the military to come destroy it! I have a feeling that Blu will make it after all."

He gave Linda a hug in return and responded, "I knew that some kind of miracle was going to happen! Blu means so much to us, and to this planet as well. It's as if the planet has intervened on Blu's behalf, and given him a means to be saved!"

"I'm so happy! This nightmare is drawing to a close, dear."

"Yes it is. Oh, we need to prepare the evidence for them!"

"What evidence? Oh, the shard! Where did you put it?"

"Not just the shard, honey! We have to show them the remains of that Military Macaw from earlier. Still, where did I put that shard?"

As he gazed around the room, he spied the two backpacks from yesterday's excursion resting on the nearby counter.

"I must have put it in one of our packs. Let's go dig it out."

Tulio walked over and started rummaging through one bag, while Linda the other.

After a few moments, she felt her hand scrape something rough and cold. She withdrew the sizable chunk of rock and pointedly cleared her throat.

Looking up, Tulio saw his wife holding the shard, a slightly amused expression staining her face.

He snatched it up and exclaimed,"You just got lucky! Well, it's time to start up the waiting game..."

The husband and wife skipped over to the couch and plopped themselves down, their hearts thrumming with silent joy.

Jewel perched back on Linda's left shoulder and settled down. She stared deep into Linda's eyes for a few seconds, and the twinkle she noticed told her all she needed to know.

_He's going to make it! My Blu is going to survive! Oh, thank the lord. I don't know how much longer I could've endured seeing him so...frail...so close to death._

After an anxious fifteen minute wait, a hearty series of pounds on the front door caught their attention. They rose off the couch-more carefully this time, in Linda's case-and ambled over to said door. Tulio swung it open, and along with his two favorite officers were three men and one woman, all dressed in classic lab attire.

"Good afternoon, Tulio, Linda! Our drive took longer than usual, because some people had started to gather at the entrance gates of your sanctuary. We had to stop and see them off. And why are you wearing pajamas, of all things?"

"Good afternoon, Lopez and Sandoval! And as for the extended wait, it's okay. We knew you would get here _eventually! _And to be honest, I was woken up by a bird crisis before I called, and I never thought to change..." responded Tulio.

Noticing the lovely bird perched on Linda's shoulder, officer Sandoval pointed and asked, "Who's that stunning bird there?"

"Who, this?" Linda replied. "Oh, this is Jewel! Her mate is affected with a deadly illness, and we believe that the meteor is what caused it."

"That's terrible! Is he okay?"

"Not really. My husband has him sedated, but he is inching closer and closer to death with every passing hour. The only way to heal him is with a shard from the meteor, but we need the military to help us harvest them."

"I see. Well, I think that these scientists will have no problem getting that done..."

After gesturing to the four new guests, Officer Sandoval announced, "I would like you both to meet the researchers who have come to study the effects and details of the recent meteor strike."

He pointed to the two men on the left and said, "First off, Dr. Silva and Dr. Ortega are microbiologists from our own home country of Brazil,"

He then pointed to the remaining two and intoned, "While Dr. Andrews and Dr. Lane are astronomers that have flown in from the U.S."

After Tulio and Linda shook hands with the group of four and introduced themselves, the scientists walked back to the squad car and retrieved two steel containers, one for each group of two. They then entered the building, along with the policemen, and placed the boxes down on the living-room couch.

"This is quite the place you have here, Dr. Monteiro! Not to mention that it also contains a lab! By the way, where is the lab? We need a quiet, sterile place to conduct our studies."

"Thank you, Dr. Lane! Follow me..."

He led the quartet down the hall and into a separate lab from the one that held the dying macaw. He swung the door aside and allowed them to file in. He watched as they popped open the steel boxes and extracted their respective equipment.

They moved their instruments to opposite sides of the lab and set the boxes down on the floor. They all walked up to Tulio, and Dr. Ortega asked, "Do you have a sample of the meteor?"

He lifted up his left arm and dropped it into his hand. Dr. Ortega twirled it around, feeling its heft and giving it a quick look-over.

"Hmmm. This is a wonderful sample, Dr. Monteiro! How did you obtain it?"

"Well, it wasn't easy. I had to get up close and personal with the space rock, but the meteor is downright deadly at that distance."

"How so? Is it tied into the supposed illness that Officer Lopez briefed us on?"

"You could say that. I was left unconscious after just a few seconds of exposure, but thankfully, my wife rescued me."

"That is very interesting testimony! We will be sure to keep that in mind. Now, could you please excuse us, so that my colleagues and I can examine this shard?"

"Certainly. Your fields of study are, needless to say, very distant from my own! Take all the time you need."

"Thank you, Dr. Monteiro. I have a feeling that this shard has some secrets that it would like to share with us..."

He strode from the room with a smile, and after walking back down the hall, spied the two officers plastered on the couch, watching TV.

He went over and sat down in the kitchen, and Linda walked up to him a few moments later.

"Hey, honey. It seems that everything went well with the scientists. Did they say how long it would take for them to study the shard?"

"Everything is fine, dear. And no, they didn't say. I told them to take however long they needed. Still, it's just one measly lump of rock. Finding out what they need to know about it couldn't take that long!"

She walked behind him and placed herself down in the chair to his left.

"I hope not. Even though we will undoubtedly get the cure for Blu, I just pray that we'll get it in time. He could...go...any second."

"Trust me, Linda. We'll save him. I promise you that."

"I trust you, Tulio..."

After Tulio had led the researchers into the spare lab, Jewel had flown over to the observation window to observe her mate. The myriad of monitors hooked up to him, although silent, still showed that he was alive. One display bore a regularly spaced series of peaks and troughs, and they were sliding across the readout at a steady pace.

Jewel, however, grew concerned upon seeing the next readout, the one that displayed his temperature, among other things. She focused her eyes to read the LCD display, and it stated that his temperature was 42.5 degrees Celsius.

She somehow knew that his temperature should not be that high, and she blinked to make sure that she wasn't imagining it. After refocusing once again, the numbers now read 44.0 degrees Celsius. She realized that he was getting hotter and hotter as time dragged on.

She couldn't think of anything to do, nor think of any ways she could help. She left the windowsill and glided down the hall, alighting in front of the viewing window of the spare lab. Looking in, she spied four figures hunched over in one corner, but that was all she could see.

They were fidgeting around and adjusting some sort of microscope, and she managed to catch a glimpse of the black rock. She resorted to observing the humans as they conducted their research, and she could not find it in her to fly back to the other lab window. The scientists were too focused to notice her, and she silently wished for them to work faster.

_Please hurry! The life of my husband depends on it! Please..._

Jewel had dozed off against the edge of the window in the two hours that the scientists had studied the shard. They replaced their instruments back in the padded steel containers, cleaned up their workspace, and headed out of the door.

The sudden burst of noise tore Jewel from her nap, and the four humans filed by, each of them giving her a kind wave. She carefully turned on the narrow sill and watched the humans walk over to Linda and Tulio.

_Looks like they're finally finished! We are one step closer to saving Blu..._

She glided back down the hall and landed on the counter, next to one of the rugged backpacks. Tulio and his wife jumped up from the table enthusiastically, almost knocking over their chairs in the process. They steadied themselves and joined their guests behind the couch.

"What did you find out? Something _must_ be responsible for the terrible decay that is destroying the jungle!"

The two astronomers stepped forward, slightly astonished looks on their faces.

"Before we get to that," Dr. Andrews began. "We need to tell you what we found out. However, we should sit down first."

"Of course! We can head back into the kitchen."

"Thank you. You are quite kind..."

Being as there was only four chairs, Tulio and Linda opted to stand, allowing the four scientists to sit and ready themselves.

Fixing Tulio and Linda in his gaze, Dr. Andrews said, "What Dr. Lane and I discovered in reference to the shard is quite abnormal. The shard was composed of more iridium than we've ever documented, more so than we would have expected from plain old space debris. The average concentration is 0.5 ppm, and the shard in question bore a level of 20 ppm. Other than that oddity, the meteor is completely normal, in terms of structure and origin. As of right now, we can think of no explanation for the iridium abundance."

"Wow. Although I have no idea what you are talking about, it sounds strange indeed!" exclaimed Tulio.

"I think our fellow researchers would like to speak now."

Tulio and his wife swiveled their gaze to the two Brazilians, their faces exact replicas of the two former scientists.

Dr. Silva leaned forward and began, "My partner and I have also discovered something quite unprecedented. Using one of our light microscopes, we examined the surface of the shard. We spied numerous clusters of what we think are...microorganisms. We don't know what they are, or where they came from. We believe that we have found an entirely new species, as their structure and biology is unlike anything that is present here on Earth. We have yet to establish if the bacteria and the iridium have any connection. They seemed to be dead upon our examination, so we have no way of knowing. Still, we can assume that those organisms are responsible for the death that we have been told is happening nearby."

"Did anything happen to the shard from the time you harvested it until the time you gave it to us?" questioned Dr. Ortega.

"Well, after I chipped it from the meteor, I fell unconscious. My wife dragged me back to safety, and a few moments later...why don't you tell it, honey."

He flashed a glance at Linda, and she nodded gently.

"He had dropped the shard in his pocket, and after I pulled him to safety, the rock started to glow. It shined with a golden light, along with a soft humming sound. Moments later, he was back on his feet, and he felt like he could take on the world! Therefore, we discovered that the shards possess wondrous healing powers. After that, the rock never did anything else."

"I see. Perhaps the dead creatures have something to do with that. It's the only solution at this point."

"So, do you feel that you can convince our military to come and deal with the space rock?"

"I believe so, Linda! What do you say, guys?"

He raked his gaze across the others, and they all nodded, one by one.

"Excellent! We need to call the police station first, and then they can transfer us."

They all rose from the kitchen table and headed straight for the front door. Just before leaving, the four researchers stopped and motioned for the two officers to follow. After a few seconds, the officers, who were half asleep, caught the movement to their left.

They quickly perked themselves up and joined the others, trailing behind as they stepped into the glaring afternoon sun. The front door slid shut, casting a wave of warm air into the house. Tulio and Linda faced each other and smiled, knowing that the salvation of Blu, along with the entire jungle, lay right around the corner.

"Finally, Tulio! The nightmare is just about to end."

"Indeed, honey! Now, we need to prepare to go back into the jungle."

"Oh, you're right. What should we bring?"

"Not much, I think. I don't know how they plan to approach the meteor, but they should be able to sort that out with the scientists' help. Most importantly, I want to gather a decent supply of shards. We can take one of the travel backpacks from before to carry them in."

"Good idea! Let's get started..."

They trotted over to the pair of backpacks on the counter and grabbed one, casting slightly amused expressions at Jewel, who popped out from behind it. They passed the time by unloading the supplies, along with a little help from the cheerful macaw.

The group of six returned a few minutes after they had finished emptying the packs, and their faces bore triumphant expressions.

"The military is on their way, you two! Our friends here gave them a most convincing speech, and they seemed to understand the severity of the situation."

"Wonderful, Lopez!" replied Tulio.

"And we must give you four our deepest thanks!" said Linda and Tulio, resolutely shaking hands with all of them.

"Without you, Blu would probably have never made it. We can show you one of the victims, if you like. Be warned, it is very graphic and disturbing."

"If you wish to show us, we will accept." replied the group of four.

They all crossed the living-room and stopped directly in front of the flawless window. A collective gasp erupted from all but the ornithologist and his wife, and they turned to them with dazed expressions.

"That used to be a Military Macaw, but as you can see, the disease kills quite effectively." stated Tulio.

"I never could have imagined..." replied Andrews.

"What about the live ones? How are they affected?" added Silva.

"They develop rabies-like symptoms, and they attack other individuals with reckless abandon. When we first went to observe the crash site, several infected birds even attacked _us._"

"Oh my. This is one terrible situation, and it seems that you are right in the middle!"

"You couldn't be any more right, Silva..."

They continued to converse, until one of the Brazilians caught sight of Blu's monitoring devices.

"Uh, Tulio, you might want to check on that macaw of yours."

He gazed past Ortega and scanned the monitors.

"Why? Is something...oh my god!"

He rushed past the others and flew into the lab, skidding to a stop next to Blu's bedside.

"What? 56 degrees Celsius! This is bad, very bad!"

He inched his hand closer to Blu, and he could feel waves of heat rolling off of him, before he even made contact. Fear in his eyes, he shut the power off to the monitor and restarted it. After allowing it to power back up, the display popped up the exact same reading.

"Oh no! We have to bring him a shard! Those military people need to hurry!"

He stormed back out, and was immediately met by a shaking Linda.

"Is he going to be alright? He has to be!"

"We haven't...much time, Linda. We need to get a shard to him, and quick! The military personnel need to hurry up and get over here!"

The others merely looked on in disturbed silence, their gazes alternating between the two humans and their dying macaw.

Nearly thirty minutes later, a loud rumble from outside jarred their attention, followed by a penetrating honk. The two officers reached the door first, the others following close behind.

Bright sunlight flooded the living-room, and as their eyes adjusted to the glare, they spied two vehicles consuming the space in front of the aviary.

To the left was a sturdy M-113 troop transport, adorned with a classic camouflage paint job. To the right, dwarfing the former, was an imposing M60 tank. The barrel of the 105 mm cannon was pointed directly at the aviary for some reason, inciting pangs of anxiety in the eight humans that stood before it.

Five soldiers climbed from the M-113, and four from the M60. They sidled up to the others and stood at attention as one man stepped forward. He turned around and motioned with his hand, and the remaining soldiers relaxed visibly.

With a smooth Portuguese accent, he said, "I am Major Nunez of the Brazilian Armed Forces. I have heard news of the meteor crisis, and that you wish for it to be destroyed."

"Correct, Major Nunez. We need to gather the shards that it will yield when disposed of. Can you help us do that?"

"Without a doubt, Tulio. Now, how about we head inside and plan out our strategy."

"Of course. Come on in..."

They clustered around the kitchen table and discussed the dangers that the nearby jungle would reveal, as well as how to best deal with the infiltrator from the heavens. They resolved that C-4 would be more viable to spread the meteor's healing shards as far and wide as possible.

The fact that the M60 would not be needed depressed some of the soldiers, at which point the others silently laughed.

At some point during the conversation, the rest of the refugees awoke and flew out of the artificial jungle. Landing on the counter a few feet away from the group of humans, they listened intently, and they were able to get the gist of what the humans and soldiers were planning.

After the humans concluded their discussions, they marched back out through the front door, and they never returned.

To Jewel, the other birds appeared slightly confused, and she opted to give them a rather depressing recap of the events that transpired prior to their waking up.

She then took it to the next level and led them over to the all-too-familiar windowsill. Seeing Blu's unheard-of body temperature instilled deep pools of worry and desperation in each and every one of them. They maintained silent vigil over his still body, willing for someone, _anyone_, to return with a sliver of the space rock.

Outside, the soldiers unloaded all the supplies from the M-113 they had resolved to take into the jungle. They heaved three forest-green boxes from the vehicle, their contents identified by the C-4 painted on the lids.

All but five of the soldiers were then each handed an MD-2 rifle, which would be their defense against the psychotic avian creatures that Tulio had assured them would be encountered.

The five rifle-less men were assigned to carry the explosive-laden crates and the equipment crate, while the rest would shoot down the winged threats. Again, at Tulio's cautioning, all of the soldiers but Major Nunez donned neon orange hazardous material suits.

Just before they departed, Linda rushed back in the house and grabbed the empty backpack, while Tulio walked past her to change into more appropriate attire.

Their entrance startled the birds, to which she promptly apologized after uttering a quick hello. Tulio reappeared a few minutes later, and they headed back outside to rejoin the others.

Without hesitation, they all determinedly marched past the house, straight for the jungle of horrors...

* * *

><p>Their trek towards the meteor was quite eventful, and they soon realized that the decay had continued, unimpeded, through the jungle. The edge of the clearing was now stained with fetid plant matter, and the home of Blu and Jewel was only hours away from meeting the same fate.<p>

The journey was often punctuated by the staccato shouts of an MD-2 rifle, with Tulio and Linda bearing witness to the untimely deaths of several birds as a result.

Tulio cringed away from the attackers who, after being shot, were often left headless or torn in half, their organs and blood pouring from their bodies. He said a silent prayer for each of them, knowing that was all he could do to give them some peace in death.

They eventually caught glimpses of the meteor between the withered trees, and they quickened their pace as a result. After walking _through _the sickly grove of trees, they laid eyes upon the culprit of the disaster. The red, pulsing glow was still visible deep in the core, and it seemed to flicker and flash disapprovingly.

The soldiers got right down to business, unpacking the square blocks of C-4 from their containers and stacking them on the blackened grass at their feet.

Major Nunez turned towards the ornithologist and asked, "What is it that needs to happen to this...monstrosity?"

"The explosion needs to create as many fragments of rock as possible, and it needs to spread them far and wide, Major."

"Very well, Tulio. Let us see what we are dealing with..."

He turned his back to Tulio and faced the group of orange beings.

"Lieutenant Cortez, step forward!"

A rather tall figure walked out of the crowd, unzipping his hood and saluting his superior officer.

"Yes, Major Nunez?"

"At ease, soldier. I need you to scout out the meteor and determine the best sites for the explosives. That big rock needs to be rendered into small fragments, and they need to be spread over a wide area."

"Right away, Major..."

Resealing his suit, he trudged directly towards the hulking mass, seemingly impervious to the disorienting effects that it produces. He made several circuits around the growling mass, at times surveying the top, and at others studying the base on his hands and knees.

He returned from the rock just as healthy as before, and he removed his hood once again.

"I have discovered the ideal spots for C-4 placement, Major. But first, I must wire the charges."

"Well done, Lieutenant. Your fellow soldiers will assist you in doing so, after you have prepped the charges."

Cortez went over to the third container and withdrew several extensive lengths of wire, tipped at the ends with gleaming metal blasting caps. One by one, he lifted the deadly white squares, firmly inserting the blasting caps into each.

All told, he had primed twenty-five charges, and the resulting blast would, without a doubt, accomplish its goal, not to mention be quite spectacular.

Standing up, he nodded to the Major, who in turn focused his gaze past Cortez and declared, "Assist Lieutenant Cortez in laying the explosives, and follow his orders exactly. Get to it, men!"

Cortez led the rest of the soldiers over to the space rock, each of them cradling a square of C-4. He pointed to the appropriate spot, and the charge would be laid down, and then the soldier would return with another.

After fifteen minutes of the monotonous routine, a slew of wires were left trailing across the ground, and the meter now appeared as though it rested on a giant marshmallow.

Cortez then connected each of the wires to the remote firing box that had been resting in the third container.

"Everything is good to go! I would advise that we step back. Far back. The shock-wave and resulting shrapnel is not compatible with life... "

The small crowd of anxious humans retreated nearly one hundred feet, and the stark white blobs of C-4 were the only things that could be seen.

"Fire when ready, Lieutenant!" announced Nunez.

The scientists, as well as Linda and Tulio, tensed their muscles, awaiting the blast that would soon assault their senses.

The soldiers, on the other hand, were tense with energy, as this is the first real-life exercise that they have done in a long time.

Setting the detonator on the ground, he popped the yellow cover off of the arm switch and clicked it forwards. An intense red light glowed to life, and he then removed the cover from the fire button.

He momentarily bottled up the excitement raging inside him and declared, "In 3...2...1...action!"

Pressing the concave button down with his thumb, an audible click was heard. Small charges of electricity raced down each of the twenty-five wires, uniting with the blasting caps far ahead. The gunpowder popped, and the resulting heat and shock triggered its parent charge.

After just a two second delay, a concussive noise filled their ears, and they felt the ground tremble beneath. A towering orange fireball roared into the sky, and the humans had to crane their necks to watch it climb.

A rush of heated wind then blew past them, carrying with it the tons and tons of ash from the decayed jungle near the blast zone. The soldiers were unaffected, but the others had to shield their eyes and mouth from the choking flurries that swirled through the air.

After the blizzard of ash had dissipated, their open eyes revealed a desolate expanse of charred ground, and they shuddered upon absorbing the true expanse of the meteor's influence.

"It's so...huge! It must b-be nearly a q-quarter the size of the entire sanctuary!" shouted Linda.

"Unbelievable! No wonder so many birds had been affected!" added her husband.

Hugging him tightly, Linda exclaimed, "It's finally over, Tulio!"

"But, where are the shards! Did we make the blast too big?"

"No, Tulio! Look!"

Far ahead, near the crash site, small black specks could be seen whizzing through the air, disappearing upon meeting the charred ground. Moments later, patches of green grass began to erupt all over, growing and meeting up with one another.

The replenishing effect of the shards upon the dead ground became like a wave, and it traveled steadily towards the awed humans. Eventually, a humming sound became audible, and the crowd was then pelted by hundreds upon hundreds of rock fragments.

"The jungle is saved, but we still need to save Blu! I'll gather the shards, while you take one back to him!"

Tulio plucked a thumb-sized chunk from his shoe and pressed it into his wife's palm. Desperation in his voice, he shouted, "Go honey! Go!"

Linda jumped up and took off towards the aviary in a dead sprint, leaving Tulio to wonder how the rest of the afflicted birds would be saved by the shards...

* * *

><p>A Blue-and-Gold Macaw named Rosa was slumped over in a small tree, her chest heaving from exertion. She had been forced to flee earlier that morning, having woken up to a deranged version of her mate, who promptly attempted to massacre her.<p>

She fought him off and fled her hollow, but his pursuit was relentless. Throughout the course of the day, he managed to discover her makeshift hiding place several times. Exhausted from this repeated routine of hiding and fleeing, she wound up in a small tree just on the edge of the mysterious decay that she assumed was from the meteor.

She felt reasonably confident that she had managed to finally lose her sadistic mate, and she had been dying of thirst for over an hour. Creeping out onto a narrow branch, she spread her wings to begin the search for a source of water.

She managed to fly only a few feet away from the diseased jungle before she felt a blow to her back. She plummeted to the ground, landing softly in a patch of orchids.

Still reeling from the pain, she looked up to see her mate, Alfred, streaking towards her. She was too drained and dehydrated to run any longer, and she knew that she was going to be slaughtered where she lay.

As he landed, he pressed her neck against the ground with his right foot, his coal-black eye peering into her own. She tried one last time to deter her seemingly emotionless husband, despite his choking maneuver.

"No! Please...stop! What has happened to you, Alfred! Don't you...know me?"

He uttered an insidious noise in response, more like a growl than a squawk.

"Don't...do this..."

He then placed the same foot on her throat and raked his talons across it. Three parallel wounds appeared, leaking steady trickles of blood. He replaced his foot for another slash, and Rosa screamed in pain and desperation.

She got one last glimpse of her assailant and closed her eyes, ready to receive death's embrace.

However, a resonating boom filled her ears, and her killer paused for just a few seconds. She caught sight of a large, flaming tower erupting into the sky from the corner of her eye, and a steady gust of wind buffeted the two macaws. A flurry of soft ash blew past them, obscuring their vision and causing them to cough.

Moments later, small pieces of rock began to rain down, and a soothing hum came along with them.

Rosa watched as one chunk bounced along the ground, and was somehow drawn to her mate. It glued itself to his neck, and a bright, golden light forced her to close her eyes.

A strange half-choking, half-screeching noise issued from her mate, and she felt his grip disappear completely. Forcing her eyes open and rising to her feet, she saw her mate sprawled out before her, belly up.

"A-Alfred! Are you okay? C-can you talk? Answer me!"

His eyes flew open and his head rose from the ground in response to her queries.

"Rosa? Is that you? Rosa!"

"Alfred! You're back!"

He sprung to his feet as if nothing had ever happened, and squeezed his wife in a loving hug. He drew back and noticed the bloodstains on her neck, immediately growing worried.

"Rosa, you're bleeding! What happened?"

"You happened, Alfred. You tried to kill me! Your own wife! Don't you remember anything?"

"Oh, I am so sorry! All I can recall is falling asleep, what was it...yesterday. I finally gathered up enough courage to go and check out the meteor, and then I came home. That was it. I hope you can forgive me. I would never dream of killing you!"

"It must have been the meteor that did that to you, and somehow, it was just destroyed! Your eyes, they were terrible! I have never been so scared in my entire life..."

"Hey, it's okay. Everything is fine now. I'm here with you, and I am perfectly normal..."

The macaws hugged after a brief kiss, and they remained in that embrace for several reflective minutes. Their minds were reeling from the tumult of the previous events, but one feeling outshone the rest.

For Alfred, it was the feeling of infinite relief that he was reunited with his mate. For Rosa, it was the assurance that her mate had been reborn, all thanks to a tiny piece of rock...

* * *

><p>Linda made it back to the sanctuary in no time, and her steady sprint had left her doused with sweat. She threw open the rear door and turned the corner into the living-room. All of a sudden, seven familiar birds began flying about in front of her, making desperate noises of all kinds.<p>

Staring past them, she determined their origin, and her stomach twisted with dread. Visible through the viewing window was a squirming sapphire form, and she realized that Blu was only one step away from phasing into nonexistence.

"I'm coming, Blu! Hold on! Please, don't die!"

She rushed past the frantic storm of birds and shoved the lab door open, Jewel following close behind. Jewel perched on her shoulder after Linda skidded to a stop next to Blu's convulsing form, and the human was instantly showered by his coughed-up blood.

The restraining belts had already been burned away down the middle, and he was flailing about on the table. As she jerked her hand open, the shard skipped from it and stuck itself to Blu's chest, as if guided by some unseen force.

Immediately after, Linda shrieked in pain and fled from his steaming blood. A brilliant golden glow filled the room, and the birds outside alighted on the windowsill, their eyes filled with a mix of terror and hope.

A humming noise manifested itself with the glow, and after a few agonizing seconds, faded along with it.

Linda gritted her teeth to deal with the pain of her burns, slowly looking over at the table where Blu lay. He was perfectly still and silent, a stunning contrast to his former state. For some chilling reason, his temperature was indicated by an _ERR_, and the monotone beep from the ECG remained.

Another minute passed, and still Blu did not stir. In that moment, two separate worlds came crashing down, one human, and one avian. Linda began to tremble and trudged from the room, while Jewel dropped from her shoulder and alighted next to her soulless mate.

Once outside the lab, Linda slumped down against the wall and began to whimper, her tears forming two miniature versions of the Nile upon her face.

Jewel stared deep into her mate's wide open black eyes and began to cry as well.

"No, no, no! Please wake up, Blu! The shard healed you! You are fine! You have to...wake up..."

She placed her right foot on his chest and jiggled him around as best she could, hoping that it would be more effective in reviving him. As her tears stained his feathers, her shaking caused him to slide from the table, along with the now-useless sliver of rock on his chest.

The rock clinked upon meeting the cold tile floor, but Jewel never heard the hollow thump of Blu's body doing the same.

She watched, utterly shattered, as he dropped just a few inches and then stopped. The sensors and IV's that pierced his body had broken his fall, leaving him to swing back and forth languidly, like some twisted, forgotten marionette.

Witnessing the trauma of her dead mate rocking silently below, along with the desecration it bestowed upon him, was too much for Jewel. She felt as though a dagger had been driven through her body, heated to volcanic temperatures, and then rotated at blinding speeds.

She collapsed onto the bloodstained bed in the most irrefutable and symbolic of faints.

The other birds, who had been pressed against the window, merely turned away and flew onto the kitchen counter, their spirits obliterated due to the implications that Blu's death had brought.

Aside from Linda's occasional cries of despair, a tar-like silence had swallowed the aviary, and it persisted for nearly an entire hour.

The creaking sound of the back door opening only served to alert the beings in the room, and no more.

Tulio soon found himself staring at a group of six defeated birds on the counter, and they were milling about in the manner of zombies.

He then heard tragic snuffling down below, and as he caught sight of Linda's hunched-over form, he expected the worst.

"What's wrong, Linda?"

She barely managed to choke out three deadly words: "Blu...is...gone..."

The enormity of her reply ignited a fire of rage and frustration inside him, and he simply could not contain it.

"WHY! Did the shard NOT WORK!"

He noticed that the birds on the counter were staring at him, their heads shaking side to side.

"HOW! DAMN IT!"

He stormed out the front door, hands buried in his hair, shouting all the while. The silence returned once more, hammering home the despair that had been briefly obscured by Tulio's disbelief.

Had Linda gazed back into the lab, or Jewel been awake, they would have seen the ECG display spring to life, accompanied by a steady, high-pitched chirp...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Qual é a sua emergência?=What is your emergency?**

**Eu preciso falar com Lopez! Eu não posso explicar agora, mas tem a ver com o meteoro!=I need to talk to Lopez! I can't explain right now, but it has to do with the meteor!**

**Sim senhor, agora mesmo! Qual é seu nome?=Yes sir, right away! What is your name?**

**Por favor, segure por apenas um minuto, Tulio...=Please, hold for just one minute, Tulio...**


	6. The Promise

**A/N:**

**I am truly sorry about the late update, but I have been dealing with a well-timed case of writer's block, among other things.**

**Anyways, enough of my excuses and small talk.**

**Let's move on to the good stuff!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6:The Promise<strong>

Stirring from his trance-like state, Blu opened his eyes and blinked. The black void he had been locked away in, ever since his collapse in front of his family and friends, was gone. As best as he could recall, it had been shriveled and dissolved by a ray of the most pure gold light imaginable.

_Am...I...alive? Has my torment been superseded? Has the curse been lifted?_

Gazing down below, he saw a smooth white surface, featureless and blank. Lifting his head up, he noticed yet another white expanse, though this one was splattered with drips of red.

Gazing around, he noticed three others, and he soon realized he was in a room. A lab room. _Tulio's_ lab room.

Suddenly, the remainder of his senses gripped his body, and he felt as though he was falling. Looking down once more, he noticed his feet and tail dangling below him, along with two white cords leading from his chest. Twisting his head around, he noticed four more white cords trailing up from behind him, winding their way into several machines.

An austere mix of sounds were streaming from them, and after studying their readouts, Blu realized that he was indeed alive.

Even though he was inches from death moments ago, he felt as though nothing had _ever _happened. In fact, he felt more than just a regular bird. His soul shimmered with the qualities of an angel: eternal, pure, and innocent.

After taking hold of his newfound energy, he flapped his wings, and in one lush stroke, perched himself on the red-speckled bed that was situated off to his left.

His euphoria was quickly shadowed by what he saw splayed out before him: the still aquamarine form of his wife. Although her eyes were sealed shut, her chest undulated up and down every few seconds. Seeing that his mate was alive, the euphoria quickly returned, and he gently brushed his mate with his left wing.

"Jewel? Wake up, honey. I'm here for you."

Several seconds passed, and not one sound or twitch escaped from her body. Placing his right foot on her chest, he gently traced simple designs upon it, leaving faint furrows in her feathers. He saw her feet clench, and then relax, and he promptly withdrew his talons from her chest.

Bringing his head down close to hers, he peered intently at her eyelids, watching silently as they creaked open. Her twin pupils immediately dilated, and he heard a bewildered, depressed question rise from her beak.

"B-Blu? Am I in heaven with you? Are you an angel?"

"No to both, Jewel. We are on Earth, and I stand before you as your flesh-and-blood mate. Although I don't know how, the sickness within me has been banished. Now, are you okay? Can you get up?"

As the tears trickled from her eyes, she pulled him close with her wings, locking their bodies in an bittersweet embrace. After releasing her grip, she stared up at her blurry mate, her heart drowning in a mix of residual despair and bottomless joy.

"Over an hour ago, you started to shake and spit up blood. The meteor was destroyed, and Linda came running back with a shard. She placed it on your chest, and you were bathed in golden light. We thought that you were saved, but you never moved after that. The machines showed that your heart had stopped, and your body temperature wasn't even readable. I-I thought that y-you were gone..."

He took a moment to mentally connect the dots regarding the events leading up to his revival.

"So the jungle is safe once more? That's good. But I assure you, Jewel, that I am not gone. I will be right here next to you, just like always."

"I-I-don't know what to say..."

As his rich hazel eyes met her own, she sensed a silent confirmation that the words he spoke were undeniably truthful.

"Perhaps, in a moment like this, silence is best..."

He brought her to her feet, and they engaged in a long lasting, passionate hug, full of sincerity and wonder. As their embrace ended, Blu stared out through the viewing window, and he saw not one living creature.

"Uh Jewel? Where's Linda and Tulio? And what about the refugees?"

"They're out there, Blu. Linda must still be just under the window, the other birds are on the kitchen counter, and Tulio is probably still outside. A depression like we've never experienced filled the aviary after your supposed death, and aside from our little revelation, I doubt that much has changed."

"Well, what are we waiting for? We have to alert them!"

"No Blu, wait! The-"

Blu attempted to fly towards the window, but he was jerked back onto the bed after just one wing-stroke. He lay face down on the soft material and his expression seemed to tell her that he was in mind-chilling pain.

"The sensors and IV's are still connected to you, Blu! Are you okay?"

Jumping back to his feet, he replied hotly, "Sort of. I guess I forgot that I was still hooked up to those machines! I didn't feel any pain, though. I am more annoyed than I am hurt! Can you help me get them out? I can't reach them!"

She drew herself up right next to him and surveyed the situation. Two wires sprouted from his chest, one on the left and one on the right, winding their way under his wings and up to the machines. Four more erupted from his back, and he appeared like some foreign creature connected to an alien life-support system.

They were all held in place by translucent tape, and Jewel wasn't sure if he would be leaving with all of his feathers.

"I need to peel the tape off first, and then I can slide the stuff out. I'll try to be as gentle as I can..."

Blu merely relaxed his body without replying, knowing that he would feel no pain from the procedure. After peeling the tape slowly away, Jewel extracted the two wires from his chest, and they did not bleed or cause Blu any discomfort. She moved around to his back and did the same, a sense of accomplishment flooding her mind as the last wire dropped to the bed with a hollow thump.

Jewel had worked so meticulously that his feathers had not been ripped out, and he returned the favor with a caring kiss. They then flew to the windowsill, and as they gazed down, the top of Linda's head was visible just below.

Jewel knocked the sturdy glass repeatedly with her beak, and the human slowly rose up off the ground. Blu was instantly depressed by her red, puffy eyes, but that depression melted into utter happiness as an infinite smile grew on her face.

She stood up in one rapid motion and scurried for the lab door.

Before he even had a chance to greet her, Linda snatched Blu up and pinned him in her arms.

"Blu! It's...you! You're...alive! The shard must have worked after all..."

She pressed him up to her face, still damp from her previous bout of mourning. He nuzzled into her and uttered several reassuring chirps, his left wing feathers becoming glued together from the moisture.

"It's okay, Linda! I'm here, and I'm alive. No need to worry anymore."

Linda's grip was firm, but Blu experienced no discomfort. An invisible flow of longing and melancholy flowed between them, and he wanted to make it last as long as possible. After a few reflective minutes passed, Linda replaced Blu back on the sill and rushed out to inform her husband.

"Quick, Blu! We have to go tell the rest of our group that you're alive!"

They jumped from the sill and glided past the door as it swung open. They banked to the left and entered the kitchen, their stomachs churning with a mix of apprehension and elation. Alighting on the counter, the stares from six piercing pairs of eyes landed on them.

What followed next was nothing short of shocking. After a simultaneous shout of joy rippled into the air, Blu was ambushed by six feathery forms. He was knocked onto his back as a result, and his friends and family crowded around him.

At just that moment, the front door flew open as Linda walked in, followed by an exasperated Tulio. He caught glimpses of Blu between the flurry of birds on the counter, and his spirits rocketed to brand new heights.

"_Meu Deus_! I can't believe it, Linda! He's perfectly fine! The shard did what it was supposed to..."

"Of course it did, Tulio! I have never been happier in my entire life!"

"Shouldn't we go check on him?"

"Not yet, dear. Let him have some time with the others..."

* * *

><p>Blu spent the remainder of the day at the aviary, playing and conversing with the others. He had to split his time between the birds and the humans, as they both vied for his attention. After all was said and done, night had descended upon the city, and the party of birds had agreed to depart for their various abodes.<p>

After Tulio and Linda sealed the front door, Blu and Jewel took their time to say goodbye to Nico, Pedro, and Maricela.

They then did the same with their children, albeit with more legitimacy and care. After watching the three bluish forms fade away into the distance, Blu faced Jewel mischievously.

"Well, it seems that we have one last order of business, honey."

"What are you talking about? Why are you being intentionally vague?"

"Remember my...promise, Jewel? Tonight is the night that I will uphold it."

"Oh, that! It's ironic that I forgot about it, and you didn't!"

"It seems that way, Jewel! Anyways, we should get going. The night is still young, and we have all the time we need to...express ourselves."

"Right you are, handsome! Our home awaits."

The two macaws rose into the stuffy night air, orienting their flight path towards the clearing that harbored their home.

* * *

><p><em>Tonight is going to be so amazing! Jewel and I haven't done this in so long, and I have forgotten what it feels like! I know that it will be nothing short of spectacular...<em>

Blu shuddered at the thought as he flew on, and he found himself in the clearing, the cannonball tree ahead beckoning for him to enter.

Jewel powered past Blu and went into a hover directly in his flight path.

"What is it, honey?"

"You go on home and get...prepared. I have to go take care of something really quick!"

Blu smiled mischievously and replied, "Don't keep me waiting, gorgeous!"

"Trust me. It'll be worth it..."

She swiveled around and jetted off towards the northeast, disappearing into the jungle after a few seconds.

Blu continued on towards the tree and alighted down inside, reveling in the balmy heat that surrounded him. He preened himself thoroughly, starting with his sapphire wings and moving on down to his belly and lower back. Seeing that his feathers were straight and fluffy, he could only wait to see Jewel's reaction to his refined appearance.

He glanced around the hollow, and he noticed that their nest was disheveled from days of neglect.

"Well, that just won't do._ Nós não podemos fazer amor em um ninho assim_!"

Blu tromped over to the sizable nest and rearranged the twigs and feathers to the best of his ability.

"This is really difficult! Now I see why humans are so creative and deft with their work. They have _hands_, not to mention opposable thumbs..."

Blu toiled away at the nest, his brain yearning all the while for the coming sensation of Jewel's body upon his.

* * *

><p>Jewel had left the clearing without looking back, knowing that Blu had gone straight for their home. She tore her way through the jungle, listening intently for the sound of the small pipe near the border of the sanctuary. A bubbling din soon wound its way into her ears, and she dove down towards the source.<p>

Piercing a small grove of ferns, she found herself next to a large, rippling pond. The irrigation pipe lay exposed on the other side, and a steady fountain of water was erupting from it and pouring into the pond. She waded determinedly into the moonlit water and splashed it over her body with her wings.

She was diligent in her work, allowing the water to soak into her wings and wash the debris away. She flipped onto her back and saturated it for a few minutes, lying very still and gazing up at the mercury orb high above. After feeling the chilled water touch her skin, she jumped up and shook herself vigorously.

She focused on her head and neck last, dipping them into the shallow pond before withdrawing them, allowing the water to slide over her feathers. After a few repetitions of this, she brought one last splash of water over her, leaving hundreds of drops glittering on every inch of her sleek form.

As she gazed at her reflection in the pool, she saw that she had done a stunning job.

"I can't wait to see the look on Blu's face. _Ele não será capaz de manter suas asas de cima de mim_!"

She lifted off from the pond and retraced her flight path back through the jungle. As she flew past a patch of dragon fruit trees, she noticed several orchids growing between them. She spiraled down and landed smoothly next to a small clump of them.

"Hey! I think I could use one of these. I'll take...this one!"

She plucked a tangerine flower from one of the stems, causing it to spring back and shake the other orchids. She set it carefully in her head feathers and rose into flight once again.

Jewel completed the flight back to their home in a few short minutes, and her anxiety only continued to increase as she drew closer and closer to the tree that they called home. She blasted across the clearing and skidded to a stop in the hollow.

After focusing her vision on her mate, she could only equate his expression to that of a mere mortal standing in the presence of Aphrodite.

"Well? How do I look?"

"J-Jewel, you l-look," he stuttered. "You look so damn beautiful..."

"Thank you, Blu. You don't appear too shabby yourself. Actually, you look like a different bird! I like the new you!"

As Blu stared unflinchingly at his mate's diamond-like body, complete with a bright orchid on her head, he replied, "Really? I did my best to clean myself up. Oh, and I fixed the nest for us. It was way too messy for us to have _fun_ in."

She flashed a quick glance past Blu, and she noted that the nest was incredibly neat.

"Good job, Blu."

She crept her way towards him, stopping after her chest brushed against his.

"Are you ready, gorgeous?"

She wrapped her wings around him in one swift motion, placing them gently upon his back.

"I have never been more so, handsome. Now, where were we?"

She forced her beak up against his, letting her tongue slide out and make contact with his. Their tongues met in the middle, and a luscious dance ensued. A strawberry flavor registered in Blu's brain, and he explored her beak even more fervently, trying to soak up all that he could.

Conversely, Jewel was enamored by the earthy, nutty flavor of her mate, and she sped up her tongue to match Blu's new pace. The heated kissing continued for several minutes, but the two macaws eventually drew apart and sucked in much-needed oxygen.

"That was...delicious, Blu."

"Well, you taste...like strawberries, and it is utterly...invigorating."

After allowing their bodies to replenished with oxygen, Jewel stared at Blu with devilish eyes and enfolded him with her wings once more.

"Had...enough yet, Jewel?"

"Hah. _Eu estou apenas começando..._"

Jewel backed him towards the wall, and his tail was eventually forced underneath him. He took one more step backwards and slipped on his tail feathers, causing him to slump against the wall in a sitting position.

"Woah! Jewel, what are you-"

His question was cut short as Jewel reclined her body against his and began to kiss him once more. He closed his eyes and wrapped his wings around her back, thereby pulling her against him. Their bodies slowly began caressing each other, their chests heaving from the effort and the passion.

He massaged her back with powerful strokes from his wings, and he marveled at the sensuous feeling of her chest sliding against his. Their hearts began to pound more and more, and Blu felt Jewel draw back once more. The kissing ceased, and Blu gazed up at her slyly.

"_Por que não vamos levá-la até um entalhe_?"

"Gladly, Blu..."

She skipped the kissing and went for his neck, raking her beak through his feathers. She felt her mate shudder beneath her, and she felt his wings squeeze her against him in an intoxicating rhythm. Blu managed to find Jewel's feet with his own, and he firmly locked his with hers.

As Jewel's beak continued to stimulate his skin in time with his wing-squeezes, he felt their steaming love for each other flowing between them, a hot, endless river cycling through their bodies. However, another feeling was embedded within the river, and it didn't take long for Blu to realize what it was.

It was an undercurrent that was less restrained, and more primal, than mere love.

_This isn't love,_ Blu pondered. _Jewel and I are feeling...lust. Long-awaited...beckoning...lust._

Blu responded by lifting himself off of the wall and hoisting Jewel off of the ground with his wings. She paused her beak-strokes and gazed lovingly into his eyes. He carried her to their nest and laid her down gently amidst the feathers.

"_Eu acho que é a minha vez a agradar a você, linda..._"

"Surprise me, Blu..."

He moved over to her left side and locked eyes with her, her cerulean pools sending him a silent signal of confirmation. He raised his right wing and began tracing designs all over her body with his wingtip. Every so often, Jewel would shudder beneath Blu's touch, and a heated squawk wold erupt from her beak.

After a few minutes of Blu's ritual, Jewel turned to face him and extended her right wing, stopping his wing in its tracks.

"No...more teasing, Blu. Come closer...so you can...feel it too..."

Blu nodded and stood up from his spot, making his way over to stand in front of Jewel, whose chest was puffing up and down from his previous "stimulation."

He climbed up onto her stomach and locked his talons with hers once more. He relaxed his leg muscles and let gravity do its work. The steady downward force caused Blu to sink down against Jewel, and their bodies met in a number of places, some more intimate than others.

Blu's tail was resting on top of Jewel's, and he was now face to face with Jewel. Blu spread out his wings and wrapped them behind Jewel's head like a makeshift pillow. He pulled himself closer to her, and he closed his eyes as a warm wave of sensation welled up inside him.

He gave a heavy sigh and opened his eyes, gazing down at Jewel immediately afterwards. Jewel felt an electric jolt course through her body, and her feathers seemed to stick out from her skin, as if she had been electrocuted. Her eyes grew wide as the charged feeling resonated throughout her body, and she had to suppress an electric scream that urged to escape her beak.

She stared up at her panting mate as the sensation subsided, and she saw a mix of pleasure and trust in his hazel eyes. She lifted her wings from her sides and laid them on Blu's back, mimicking his embrace.

"You are...driving my body crazy, Blu, and I love it. I haven't felt this way...in a long time."

"Neither have I, my love. I feel...just as you do."

"I love you...more than I will ever...be able to express..."

"I couldn't...agree more, Jewel. Are you ready...to finish this?"

Jewel did not reply with words, merely closing her eyes and nodding twice in rapid succession. She gave Blu a final, powerful squeeze, and Blu responded by doing the same. Their bodies pressed together one final time, and the two macaws unified their bond once more, amidst a wave of pure ecstasy that swallowed them both.

* * *

><p>A few seconds later, a satisfied Blu unlocked his feet from Jewel's and climbed off of her stomach. He climbed into the nest next to her, and he reclined on his right wing as Jewel rolled over to face him. No words were spoken between them as they reveled in the afterglow of their heated performance.<p>

Their hearts were still thudding from their previous acts, although the pounding was less pronounced than before. Blu worked his right wing under Jewel's, and she in turn rested her left wing on top of him. The two macaws shared a quick kiss before falling into an exhausted, but pleasurable, sleep.

The sound of their content breathing soon filled the hollow, and they snuggled closer to each other subconsciously. The passion and love that they had shared filled their resting brains, and they were simply too lovestruck to dream.

The river of love that tied their hearts and souls together had dwindled down to a thin string. Be that as it may, it was just as intangible, and just as unbreakable...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Nós não podemos fazer amor em um ninho assim!=We can't make love in a nest like that!**

**Ele não será capaz de manter suas asas de cima de mim!=He won't be able to keep his wings off of me!**

**Eu estou apenas começando...=I'm just getting started...**

****Por que não vamos levá-la até um entalhe?=How about we take it up a notch?****

**Eu acho que é a minha vez a agradar a você, linda...=I think it's my turn to please you, beautiful...**

* * *

><p><strong>Well, how's that for detailed? o.O<strong>

**We managed to keep it trapped between a T rating and an M rating, but it wasn't easy!**

**This chapter wraps up our collaboration, and the Count and I both hope you enjoyed!**

**As for any sequels, they are still unknowns at this point, but I will let you all know if we decide to write them.**

**Special thanks goes out to ToothlessFuture, Zacarais, Blu Wolf 23, Aninat131, ArmyOfOne1112, and last, but never least, Count Doofus himself! (You better believe it, Tim.)**

**I am now going to focus on wrapping up my Rio/GoGH crossover. (You guys should check it out, I haven't had very many reviews as of yet.)**

**After that, I have another expansive Rio fic planned, so get prepared!**

**Until my next installment,**

**THE Wolf is out...**


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